You can now access demographic summaries by sexual orientation on kidsdata.org. In this section, find data summaries for gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth; straight youth; and youth not sure of sexual orientation. These data are located in the “Data by Demographic” tab on the website where there are also summaries on other demographic groups of children and youth such as race/ethnicity, income level, and immigrant status.
Gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth have an increased risk for victimization, substance abuse, and child maltreatment. Four to 10% of California public school students in grades 7, 9, 11, and in non-traditional programs were gay, lesbian, or bisexual. They reported very different experiences and behaviors in 2015-2017 as compared to students who were straight:
- 60% of gay, lesbian, and bisexual students reported being bullied and harassed at least once in the previous year, and 45% were harassed because of their sexual orientation
- 63% of gay, lesbian, and bisexual students reported having depression-related feelings in the previous year compared with 26% of straight students
- 24% of gay, lesbian, and bisexual students reported being highly motivated in school compared with 37% of straight students
We hope you will use the demographic summaries on sexual orientation to share key findings with your community and tailor comprehensive supports. Expect newly updated data in this set of summaries in the coming months.