LGBTQ+ people are coming out even younger than before, but 1 in 5 still hasn’t come out at all

LGBTQ+ Americans are coming out younger than ever, according to a new poll from Gallup.

A majority say that they’ve come out by 22, around 57%. 70% of respondents say that they came out by the age of 30. 7% came out in their 30s, 2% in their 40s, and 1% 50 or older. 18% say that they have yet to come out to anyone.

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Americans aren’t as accepting of trans people as they are of gay people

LGBTQ+ people, on the other hand, were overwhelmingly more supportive of trans rights than non-queer people.

Those in the lowest age bracket, 18 to 29, say that they’ve come out, on average, at age 17.

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This data does not necessarily reflect when people realized that they’re a part of the LGBTQ+ community. 48% of respondents said they realized that they’re LGBTQ+ by the age of 14, while 70% said they realized by the age of 18.

Responses vary based on the respondent’s identity. Only 5% of gays and lesbians report not having told anyone, however 23% of bisexual Americans report not having told anyone.

Transgender participants were not able to be reported independently due to sample size limitations.

LGBTQ+ adults were about as likely as the general population to say that the treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals has gotten better in recent years. However, they were also slightly more likely than the general population to say that treatment has “gotten a little worse” or “gotten a lot worse.”

One in four LGBTQ+ adults report that they’ve been harassed for their identity “frequently” or “occasionally” in recent years. Less than half say they haven’t experienced any bad treatment in the past year.

This Gallup poll does not report its sample size. They reportedly asked a probability-based sample of LGBTQ+ Americans through an online survey that was conducted between May 1 and May 15.

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