CDC data shows sharp drop in teen girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual

The share of ninth-grade girls in the United States identifying as lesbian or bisexual fell from 30 percent in 2021 to 17 percent in 2025, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data cited by The Washington Post. The report highlights a dramatic reversal in how young Americans describe their sexual orientation, with the subset of girls identifying as bisexual alone dropping by half, from 26 percent to 13 percent. While these figures indicate a significant decline for ninth graders, the Post noted that rates among older teenage girls have remained relatively steady and continue to sit above pre-pandemic levels.

The timing of the shift has sparked debate over its causes. Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University who published her analysis on her Substack "Generation Tech," told The Washington Post that the decline started before former President Joe Biden left office. This timeline complicates theories linking the change directly to a shift in presidential administrations. The Post also observed that available data does not explain why such a transition would affect specific age groups differently.

Political figures have weighed in on the findings. Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, posted on X that the changes are a result of cutting the Department of Education and USAID. However, experts caution against drawing sweeping conclusions from a single dataset. Walt Heyer, who detransitioned 40 years ago after identifying as a woman for eight years and is the author of "Trans Life Survivors," told Fox News Digital that more research is needed before declaring a lasting shift. Heyer described it as premature to celebrate one report as proof of a downward trend, urging skepticism and further studies before categorizing the data as a definitive win. Meanwhile, the percentage of boys identifying as gay or bisexual has remained largely unchanged over the past decade.