Trans adults over 45 are less likely to be out than those under 35, poll finds

Americans who identify as trans today skew young. More than 4 in 10, or 43 percent, are ages 13 to 24, according to a 2022 report by the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute. Teenagers identify as trans at nearly triple the rate of all adults, and nearly five times the rate of people 65 and older. They are growing up at a time when trans role models abound, from classroom teachers to pop stars to government officials.

Their parents’ and grandparents’ generations experienced none of this. “You’ll hear of people who felt different and they thought they were the only one in the world,” said Aaron Tax, managing director of government affairs and policy advocacy at SAGE, an advocacy group for LGBTQ+ elders. “Must be a world of difference today, for people who have all kinds of access to trans stories or trans joy.”