The number of Americans who identify as LGBTQ has doubled over the last decade, according to a new Gallup poll released on February 17.

Gallup found that 7.1% of US adults identify as something other than heterosexual. The numbers are based on interviews with more than 12,000 respondents interviewed over the last year.

Gallup began measuring sexual orientation and gender identity in 2012, finding that just 3.5% of respondents identified themselves as LGBTQ.

According to Gallup, the huge increase is largely due to members of Generation Z who have reached adulthood, while older generations, who are more likely to identify as cisgender and heterosexual, have died off.

Nearly 21% of Gen Z Americans who were at least 18 years old as of last year identify as LGBTQ. That's nearly twice as many as millennials who identify that way (10.5%) and about five times as many as Generation X (4.2%).

Only 2.6% of baby boomers identify as LGBTQ, and a mere 0.8% of the oldest cohort of Americans.

Another phenomenon that Gallup noted: Gen Z and millennials have been increasingly identifying as LGBTQ. Just 5.8% of millennials self-described as LGBTQ in 2012, and 7.8% of Gen Z members in 2017.

In contrast, older generations have remained relatively stable in the way they identify. Gallup noted that once more members of Gen Z reach adulthood, the overall percentage of LGBTQ American adults is likely to rise.

Among those identifying as LGBTQ, Bisexual adults form the largest group, at 57%, translating to 4% of US adults overall.

Twenty-one percent of LGBTQ Americans surveyed said they are Gay, 14% said they were Lesbian, and another 4% described themselves as something else, including queer and same-gender-loving. Ten percent said they are Transgender.

Identification as Bisexual is especially pronounced among the poll's youngest cohort, with 15% of Gen Z adults reporting they are Bi.

Women of all generations are more likely to identify as Bi than men, at 6% versus 2%. Women were also more likely to identify as Bi than Lesbian, whereas men were more likely to identify as Gay.

Gallup noted that the increase in adults identifying as LGBTQ coincides with greater acceptance of the community, with record numbers of Americans supporting same-sex marriage and nondiscrimination protections, including most Republicans.

The trend in identification is expected to continue upward, with Gallup arguing, "With one in 10 millennials and one in five Gen Z members identifying as LGBT, the proportion of LGBT Americans should exceed 10 percent in the near future."

Most Americans are also in support of Transgender servicemembers, although that number has dropped, from 71% in 2019 to 66% in 2021. However, most still say they believe that Trans athletes should be made to play only on teams matching their gender assigned at birth.