LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – One in 10 members of Gen Z in Britain identifies as bisexual, a report from the country’s leading LGBTQ+ rights charity has found, with more Britons now describing themselves as bi than gay or lesbian.
Gen Z – aged between 16 and 26 – were five times more likely to describe themselves as bi than Baby Boomers aged between 56 and 75, found charity Stonewall, which said the data reflected greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities among younger people.
“It is amazing to see that younger generations are no longer afraid to be themselves,” Stonewall Chief Executive Nancy Kelley said in a statement.
Stonewall commissioned pollster Ipsos to survey more than 6,000 British residents aged between 16 and 75, who were asked about their sexual orientation.
It found 71% of Gen Z respondents said they were heterosexual, as compared to 82% of Millennials (aged 27-42), 87% of Gen X (aged 43-56), and 91% of Baby Boomers.
A total of 5% of respondents identified as bi, compared to 3% who described themselves as gay and 1% as lesbian. The report said that most previous British surveys had found gay and lesbian people outnumbered bisexuals.
Lewis Oakley, a bisexual rights activist who co-hosts the “Bisexual Brunch” podcast, said the Stonewall data underlined the need for more targeted support for bi people who can face high levels of stigma.
“One example of the issues with bisexuality stigma from the male perspective is that a lot of straight women don’t want to date bisexual men,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“It’s a unique bisexual issue and tied to why people stay in the closet – which is then tied to mental health issues. We need specific support for our experiences.”