More Gen Z Americans identify as LGBTQ than as Republican
Gen Z in the US are more LGBTQ+ and less Republican than ever before (Getty Images)
Activists have hailed a “demographic tsunami heading for American politics”, after a survey revealed that Gen Z are more LGBTQ+ and less Republican than any previous generation.
A poll released by Axios on Tuesday (23 January) found that Generation Z – those between the ages of 12 and 27 – are also less likely to be religious than others.
Of more than 6,000 young people surveyed in all 50 states, only 21 per cent of Gen Z Americans said they were Republicans, compared with 32 per cent of Baby Boomers – those people born between 1946 and 1964.
Gen Z adults were also far less likely to identify as white Christians (27 per cent) compared with Baby Boomers (54 per cent), and more likely to identify as not affiliated to any religion (33 per cent) than any other generation except millennials (people aged between 28 and 43).
It might not surprise many to hear that Gen Z is the queerest generation the US has seen, with more than a quarter of young adults identifying as LGBTQ+ compared with just four per cent of Baby Boomers.
“Clearly, Gen Z does not like to be labelled, and they’re not necessarily wanting to hang their hat with a particular political party these days,” Melissa Deckman, the chief executive of research and education organisation, the Public Religion Research Institute, told Axios.
Tying the results to the upcoming US election, Axios said Gen Z is the “most racially and ethnically diverse generation in US history, and an estimated 40.8 million Gen Zers will be eligible to vote in 2024”.
LGBTQ+ activists have welcomed the survey results, claiming the demographics mean Republicans pushing extreme right-wing legislation “will fail”.
Writing on X/Twitter, civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo said: “It’s over for white Christian male hegemony in the United States and time for an egalitarian and equitable society.
“This is a demographic tsunami heading for American politics. No amount of kvetching and pathetic whining by the white supremacists will change this.”
The US general election in November looks like being a re-run of the 2020 race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, with the former president cementing his grip on the Republican nomination with two primary victories this month.
According to polls, Trump is far ahead of his last remaining rival Nikki Haley, coming in at 69 per cent of the Republican vote, compared with her 12 per cent.
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