A “demographic tsunami” is coming for the ballot box as more Gen Zers identify as non-white & LGBTQ+

A recent survey from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) has found that 28% of Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ+, a massive leap from the 16% of Millennials, 7% of Generation X, 4% of baby boomers, and 4% of the Silent Generation that identify as such.

The comprehensive study also found that 21% of Gen Z adults identify as Republican, and 27% identify as white Christians, making Gen Z more queer than Republican or white Christian.

Related: Gen Z most likely to identify as queer or bisexual

26% identify as “something other than straight.”

“It’s over for white Christian male hegemony in the United States and time for an egalitarian and equitable society,” said Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic instructor Alejandra Caraballo on X.

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Gen Z identifies as LGBTQ (28%), more than being Republican (21%), or white Christian (27%).

It's over for white Christian male hegemony in the United States and time for an egalitarian and equitable society. pic.twitter.com/hnOu1vut8y

— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) January 23, 2024

Caraballo also celebrated what she called the “demographic tsunami heading for American politics,” sharing a graphic from the survey that shows growing numbers of non-white Americans in addition to growing numbers of those who identify as LGBTQ+.

“No amount of kvetching and pathetic whining by the white supremacists will change this,” Caraballo said. “Trying to make schools and universities into indoctrination centers for conservatives will fail.”

This is a demographic tsunami heading for American politics. No amount of kvetching and pathetic whining by the white supremacists will change this. Trying to make schools and universities into indoctrination centers for conservatives will fail. pic.twitter.com/hWLAqBUFrO

— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) January 23, 2024

The survey also found that Gen Z adults are more liberal, less religious, and more religiously diverse than the generations who have come before them: “Less than half of Gen Z adults (45%) and Millennials (42%) report that religion is the most important thing in their lives or one among many important things, compared with the majority of Gen Xers (54%), baby boomers (62%), and the Silent Generation (67%).”

While Gen Z adults are less likely than all groups except Millennials to identify as Republican, they also join Millennials in being far less likely to believe voting is the most effective way to bring about change. 58% of Gen Z adults and 60% of Millennials believe voting is the key to change, compared to 70% of Gen Xers, 80% of Boomers, and 85% of the Silent Generation.

No doubt related, a separate poll from the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School found that fewer young people plan to vote in 2024 than in 2020. 57% of Americans between 18 and 29 said they planned to vote ahead of the 2020 presidential election, compared to 49% ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

The survey found that adult Gen Z women (47%) are also significantly more liberal than adult Gen Z men (38%), though the divide is smaller among Gen Z teens (27% versus 21%).

“There’s no sense in the data that huge inroads are being made by the GOP with younger voters,” PRRI CEO Melissa Deckman told Axios.

The survey included 6,014 respondents from across the United States.

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