Google searches for “Am I gay?” skyrocket 1300% & now we’re convinced everyone really is queer

A recent study proves what we’ve suspected all along: Google knows everything.

According to the Cultural Currents Institute, searches for queries like “Am I gay” skyrocketed by over 1300% in the last two decades.

Using Google Trends data from 2004 to 2023, the study also found terms like “Am I trans” and “How to come out” saw a similar surge. (Alexa, play “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross!)

The numbers aren’t completely shocking when you consider a recent Gallup poll found that 7.1% of adults identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community –– more than double the numbers from 2012 when they began measuring it –– and that one in five Gen Z-ers identify as LGBTQ+.

That being said, sh*t gets real interesting when you look at the geography data for where LGBTQ+-related Google searches have exploded.

The notoriously conservative state of Utah led the pack with the most amount of self-questioning queries, topping the list for “Am I gay,” “Am I lesbian,” and “Am I trans.” (Iowa, Indiana, West Virginia, and New Hampshire rounded out the top five for the former search entry.)

Interestingly, the top five states for “how to come out” were Oklahoma, West Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Kentucky. The data suggests that LGBTQ+ people in these states might be struggling the most with living their authentic lives… which is not surprising considering all these states have little protections for LGBTQ+ people or a negative overall policy, according to the Movement Advancement Project.

However, the numbers show Google scouring is not just reserved for red-state Bible thumpers.

Notably, queries for “nonbinary” saw an uptick in recent years, but in more progressive states like Vermont, Oregon, Maine, Montana, and Washington.

So, what might be the reason Google is seeing more LGBTQ+ searches than ever before?

An influx of queer representation on TV certainly isn’t hurting. A 2022 GLAAD report found there’s a record-high number of LGBTQ+ series regulars on the airwaves, making up 11.9% of all characters. Shows like Heartstopper are exposing new audiences to feelings and relationships they otherwise may not have seen.

Also, a 2023 report from the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute revealed a 13.6% increase in openly-out LGBTQ+ elected officials in the past year alone. (The power of Legally Blonde The Musical!)

Finally, there’s just the almighty power of Google. The tech giant is reportedly the No. 1 most-visited website in the world, with approximately 83.9 billion page visits a month. Statistically speaking, there’s going to be some fruity people amongst the numbers!

And during a period of time where we’ve become accustomed to turning to the search engine for help (and seen the disintegration of Yahoo Answers and Ask Jeeves), it’s become one of our best resources for tracking down shirtless pics of celebs and learning about ourselves.

Perhaps the rise in search terms just means Lizzo was a prophet when she released this ABSOLUTE bop last year: “Everybody’s Gay.”