What is the average age of coming-out for LGBT youth?
“Coming out,” or acknowledging one’s identity as lesbian, gay or bisexual, is an on-going developmental process. Thus, academic researchers often find it useful to distinguish between different stages of “coming out.” The age when one is first aware of having same-sex attraction is typically lower than the age when one identifies as lesbian, gay or bisexual. Data from recent studies on LGB adolescents suggest that the age of first awareness may range from 8 to 11 years on average, and the age of identifying as LGB may range from 15 to 17 years on average. (Source: Savin-Williams, R. C. and Diamond, L. M. (2000) “Sexual identity trajectories among sexual-minority youths: Gender comparisons.” Archives of Sexual Behavior, 29, 607-627.) Since 1999, GLSEN has conducted the National School Climate Survey, a biennial survey of self-identified LGBT youth about their experiences in school. In these surveys, the average age of LGBT youth participating has been between 16 and 17 years old and the
