With schools busy teaching everything LGBTQ+ nowadays, children are more confused than ever, a new study finds.
Google searches about sexual orientation and gender identity have soared 1,300% since 2004, according to an analysis from the Cultural Currents Institute.
The queries on the search engine include questions such as “Am I gay?” “Am I lesbian?” and “Am I trans?” Other searches include the term “nonbinary,” the analysis found.
“The evolution of social attitudes around sexual orientation and gender identity over the last two decades has been profound — surprising even some of the foremost political consultants and public affairs practitioners who observe opinion in the space,” the institute wrote in its report.
“This shift in public conversation and awareness has, for many, given rise to questions about their own sexual and gender identity. Google Trends data from 2004 to 2023 presents a unique opportunity to explore this evolution from a novel angle, revealing a staggering 1300% increase in specific searches that may indicate that a user is questioning their sexual identity,” researchers said.
The analysis found that Utah, Iowa, Indiana, West Virginia, and New Hampshire are the top states for the query “Am I gay?” Utah, Connecticut, Kentucky, Washington, and Colorado were the top states for “Am I lesbian?”
“The regional differences highlighted below are significant, offering a geographical landscape of self-questioning and discovery across America,” the analysis says. “Utah, a state with traditionally conservative social values, surprisingly tops three out of five search term categories. This might indicate a significant underlying questioning of identity among its internet users, possibly driven by the conflict between personal feelings and societal expectations.”
The analysis mirrors the findings of a survey released last month by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
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The survey’s findings suggest nearly one in five U.S. high school students either identify as something other than heterosexual or are questioning their sexual identity. “A majority of students self-identified as heterosexual (77.5%); 13.2% self-identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual; and 9.3% self-identified as other or questioning,” the CDC’s Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey of more than 7,900 high schoolers found.
That study echoes another from the CDC in 2021, which found that roughly one in four high school students identifies as homosexual, bisexual, or is questioning their sexuality. The CDC’s annual report of 17,232 students also said about three-quarters of teens ages 14-18 claimed to be attracted only to the opposite sex.
Teens today are being inundated about sexuality, with narratives moving away from binary to a broad spectrum. That has left many confused about their own sexuality.
And it’s only going to get worse.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.