Nearly 30% of Gen Z women identify as LGBTQ, Gallup survey finds.

[Tree-Hugger]

7. We've always been here

It has more to do with the fact that, in general, society is more accepting. Politically, it is scary right now, but people feel more free to be open about who they are and to come out than they did even a decade or two ago. They are also exposed to more people who are open about sexuality and make them realize that their feelings/attractions/identities have a name. As for bisexuality specifically, that is a whole 10 hour speech. Biphobia has been a consistent problem and that keeps folks from identifying. While it may seem obvious that biphobia is prevalent among the heterosexual population, it is also alarmingly present within the queer community itself. In recent years, book and television media have put more open bisexual characters and actors in the spotlight. Two examples of extremely popular series among GenZ are "Heartstopper" and "Red, White, and Royal Blue." These books, which eventually became a series and movie respectfully, have put bisexual main characters and the actors who play them in the spotlight. Interestingly, an actor who plays an extremely prominent bisexual character, Kit Connor (Nick Nelson in "Heartstopper&quot , felt pressured last year to come out as bisexual after many fans (mostly GenZ) claimed he wasn't acting "queer enough" because he was spotted holding hands with a woman. Back to my point on media...having more mainstream bisexual characters has awakened realizations in the public as folks have realized they are not alone in how they feel. Phrases like, "I always had these feelings, but didn't know how to identify," or "I never felt safe to come out until now," or "Watching XYZ made me realize that I am not alone in how I feel," are very common in PFLAG and LGBTQIA+ support groups.

So, it's not really a change in environment or people making choices or a lack of quality men. It's more that people feel more confident to be open. It's not new, but we now have more ways to identify various aspects of sexuality, and gender and more representation in media. And we are more aware that sexuality can be very fluid....but that is another topic for another day.