A study shows an increase in LGB+ identifications among the younger generations in Catalonia and the role played by ideology in this change
A study shows an increase in LGB+ identifications among the younger generations in Catalonia and the role played by ideology in this change
A recent study involving UPF and the University of Toronto analyses how sexual identification among young Catalans is changing and how factors such as gender, generation and ideology influence this process. The results show that Millennials, and especially Generation Z, have a more marked tendency to define themselves outside of heterosexuality, with a notable growth in bisexuality.
The research, based on two official surveys conducted in 2017 and 2022 on a total of 4,000 young people in Catalonia from these two generational groups, reveals that, among Gen Z women, more than 25% identify as non-heterosexual, double the percentage of Millennials. Among men, the change is less pronounced, and the vast majority continues to identify as heterosexual.
“One of the key conclusions of our study is that more and more young people are opting for less rigid identifications, moving away from fixed labels such as ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ and situating themselves in more open positions, such as bisexuality or other forms of sexual diversity”
Published in the journal Sexuality & Culture, the research is led by Maria Rodó-Zárate, a professor at the Department of Political and Social Sciences and director of the Research Group on Gender and Inequalities (GRETA) at Pompeu Fabra University, and Joel Cantó Roche, a doctoral student at the University of Toronto (Canada) and holder of a Master of Research in Political Science at UPF.
“One of the key conclusions of our study is that more and more young people are opting for less rigid identifications, moving away from fixed labels such as ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ and situating themselves in more open positions, such as bisexuality or other forms of sexual diversity. This trend is especially strong among women, who are more predisposed to question the established norms on sexuality”, Rodó-Zárate and Cantó Roche assert.
According to the authors, their article presents an important innovation in the research carried out in the field of LGBTIQ+ among young people: “From a perspective that relates gender, sexual orientation, generational cohort and ideology, we provide a more complex explanation on LGB+ identification among Generation Z and Millennials, found in the literature on political science and social psychology”, they assure.
The role of ideology: the link between progressivism and LGB+ identity
The study reveals that political ideology is a key factor in sexual identification. “Young people who identify as being more left-of-centre are significantly more likely to define themselves as LGB+ compared to those who consider themselves of the centre or conservative”, Rodó-Zárate and Cantó Roche state. This pattern is especially noticeable among women: left-of-centre women most identify as bisexual or with other forms of sexual diversity, while right-of-centre women identify far more with heterosexuality.
Among men, heterosexuals are the least left-of-centre group, and there is a lower presence of LGB+ people among those who identify as being conservative.
Sexual and political identity: an increasingly relevant intersection
The study concludes that the increase in LGB+ identification cannot be attributed solely to greater social acceptance but is also influenced by the interaction between gender, ideology and generation. In particular, it highlights how young, left-of-centre women tend to align their sexual identity with their political beliefs in general, and in particular in relation to feminisms.
This research provides new perspectives on the relationship between ideology and sexual identity among the new generations and paves the way for future studies on the evolution of these phenomena in different social and cultural contexts. It also urges the introduction of sexuality and gender identity in the study of political behaviour.
Reference article: Cantó Roche, J., Rodó-Zárate, M. (August 2024). “Gender-Ideology Trouble? Ideology, Gender, and Generation as Factors in LGB+ Self-identification among Gen Z and Millennials in Catalonia”, Sexuality & Culture 28, 2745–2769