In UK, the average coming out age has dropped by over 20 years

Stonewall just released new findings from an online poll they conducted of over 1,500 individuals, revealing that the average coming out age has dropped significantly:

[A]mong the over-60s the average age they had come out was 37. But those in their 30s had come out at an average age of 21, and in the group aged 18 to 24 it was 17.

The survey, conducted via social networking sites, does not take account of the numbers of people who know they are gay or bisexual but have not come out. But Stonewall said it nonetheless revealed a pattern of people having the confidence to come out earlier.

Among the 33 respondents aged over 60 only five had come out under the age of 18. Several had only done so in the last 10 years.

Ruth Hunt, Stonewall’s deputy director of public affairs, said: “People are coming out younger and younger.

I’d really like to see a study in the U.S. conducted, because while this is certainly a sign of progress in that younger people are feeling more comfortable and confident in coming out, it’s also a reminder that we need to make sure that those youth who do come out (or don’t) should be protected from anti-LGBT bullying. Because as things progress for LGBT folks, those forces working against equality only get more reactive, and potentially dangerous.

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