Updated 20 June 2025
Table of contents
Key takeaways:
- LGBTQ+ statistics show that 65% of LGBTQ+ Gen Zers identify as bisexual or pansexual, while 23% identify as gay or lesbian.
- Despite progress, the LGBTQ+ community continues to face discrimination, with 7% having been denied housing and 11% fired or rejected from a job due to their sexual orientation.
- Likewise, 25% have felt pressured to tone down their queerness at work, while 9% have been fired for reporting discrimination.
- Some 36% of LGBTQ+ Gen Zers dress to appear straight, and 59% avoid public displays of affection due to safety fears.
- Likewise, 46% avoid mentioning their partner’s gender at work, fearing discrimination. Yet, 37% say the workplace has become more accepting in the last five years.
Who cares what previous generations think – For Gen Z, identity is fluid, love is love, and authenticity matters more than tradition.
What percentage of Gen Z is LGBTQ+? Approximately 28% in the United States, according to the latest sexual orientation data. Of those who identify as LGBTQ+, 65% label themselves as bisexual or pansexual, while 23% identify as gay or lesbian, and 12% as another sexual orientation besides heterosexual.
And that’s only counting those who are out and open to sharing their sexual orientation. With discrimination in society and the workplace still rife, there are likely many more who don’t feel comfortable embracing Gen Z’s openness.
EduBirdie surveyed 2000 LGBTQ+ Gen Zers on their experiences and struggles. The results show that while the world is becoming more accepting, many still feel forced to tone down their authenticity, keep their sexual orientation secret, and hide their true selves.
Food, water, air, and a place to call home. All humans deserve to have their basic needs met. Yet, when it comes to housing, some seemingly believe that the LGBTQ+ community isn’t deserving of the basics. Turned away not because of bad credit or low income but because of who they love, 7% say they’ve been denied housing due to their sexual orientation.
Job interviews should be based on skills and suitability, not sexuality. Yet, 15% of LGBTQ+ Gen Zers have faced questions about their sexual orientation while attempting to secure a role.
You may have the perfect resume and all the skills to excel in a role. However, if your label isn’t heterosexual, everything else means little to the ignorant and intolerant, with 11% of LGBTQ+ Gen Zers having been fired or rejected by an employer due to their sexual orientation.
For 22% of LGBTQ+ Gen Zers, being themselves at work doesn’t feel like a right but a risk. Some 15% say they’ve felt indirectly pressured to stop using sexual orientation identifiers by an employer, while 7% have been directly asked to avoid it.
Modern employers preach equality, yet displaying a rainbow flag during Pride Month means nothing if you fail to show support behind closed doors. Some 25% of Gen Z LGBTQ+ people admit they have felt pressured to hide their true colors at work, with 9% having been directly asked to tone down their queerness.
Speak up, challenge bias, and report discrimination – and you might just find yourself out of a job. Worryingly, with 9% stating an employer let them go after they reported an issue to HR, LGBTQ+ Gen Zers are more likely to be shown the exit than supported.
For many LGBTQ+ Gen Zers, picking an outfit isn’t about style; it’s about safety, with 36% admitting they intentionally dress to appear more straight. Quite literally, the fear of judgment, ridicule, and even assault forces them to keep their queerness in the closet.
When something as simple as holding hands feels like a crime, it causes you to look over your shoulder. Who’s watching? Am I safe? Is it worth the risk? These fears force 59% of LGBTQ+ Gen Zers to avoid public displays of affection, with 14% doing so often.
But it isn’t just the public that the LGBTQ+ community fears coming out to – It’s the people and communities closest to them. For 29%, coming out to their parents is out of the question, while 33% plan to keep it secret from their grandparents.
At work, 24% plan to hide their true selves, and 26% never intend to come out to their religious community.
Hoping to dodge judgment and sidestep questions, 22% of LGBTQ+ Gen Zers admit to taking a fake plus-one to an event. Whether family get-togethers (13%), work functions (6%), or parties with friends (11%), for many, the pressure to “pass” as straight turns every occasion into a performance.
Marriage is supposed to be a celebration of love, but when society is unwilling to cheer you on, it doubles up as a cover story. Depressingly, 21% of LGBTQ+ Gen Zers have considered getting hitched as a way to hide their true sexual orientation, with 2% having already tied the knot.
Workplace inclusivity policies may preach acceptance, but many LGBTQ+ employees still feel compelled to hide their sexuality while on the clock. For instance, 46% avoid mentioning their partner’s gender during office chit-chat.
Some 51% hide their loved one behind neutral terms such as “my partner”. However, for many, their significant other remains a secret, with 14% referring to them as a “friend”, 3% as a “roommate”, and 20% avoiding mentioning their relationship entirely.
What do you consider when job-hunting? Wage? Location? Security? What about inclusivity? For 45% of LGBTQ+ Gen Zers, it’s a serious consideration when searching for a new role.
Navigating today’s job market is tough enough – now add the weight of needing a judgment-free workplace.
The progressive employer: Is the workplace becoming more LGBTQ+ friendly?
For some, the workplace has become a refuge, and for others, a risk. While 37% say they feel safer being open in the office compared to five years ago, 36% say it has become more hostile.
The needle is moving, but whether it’s forward or backward depends entirely on where you stand and who’s standing beside you. In 2025, sexual orientation should be a non-issue, but many still struggle to let others be who they want to be.
