Recent CDC data reveal a sharp drop in the number of U.S. ninth‑grade girls who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual. According to a 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey analysis by San Diego State University psychologist Jean Twenge, 17% of ninth‑grade girls reported an LGB identity in 2025, down from 30% in 2021. The decline is most pronounced for bisexual identification, which fell from 26% to 13% over the same period.
Twenge’s study also shows that the trend is less pronounced among older students. For 12th‑graders, LGB identification fell from 18% in 2023 to 16% in 2025, while ninth‑graders saw a drop from 17% to 11%. The largest decline in same‑sex partnership reports was also seen among ninth‑grade girls who are sexually active.
Interpretations of the data vary. Some scholars suggest that cultural shifts and the rise of gender ideology may be influencing how young people label themselves. Focus on the Family director Glenn T. Stanton argues that the earlier increase in LGB identification may have been a “cultural fad” that is now fading. He notes that many teens are moving away from binary labels toward a broader spectrum of identities, which he describes as “made‑up human identities” that do not stick.
Political explanations have also been offered. Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, attributed the trend to federal funding cuts to the Department of Education and USAID during the Trump administration. Twenge, however, points out that the declines began during the Biden administration, raising questions about the role of politics in shaping youth identity.
Twenge acknowledges that the cause of the decline remains uncertain. “It may have something to do with it, but it’s clearly not the only thing going on. It’s a mystery,” she said in a statement shared by The Wash. The data prompt a broader conversation about how faith communities can respond to changing cultural attitudes toward sexuality and gender while upholding biblical principles of love, truth, and compassion.
Source: Christian Today
Read the original article
Editorial note: This is an original news report prepared from the attributed source material with AI assistance. It is not a reproduction or translation of the original article.
