1 in 4 LGBTQ+ Singles Say the Political Climate Is Reshaping Their Dating Lives

According to The State of Us: National Study on Modern Love & Dating in 2025 survey conducted by  Kinsey Institute and DatingNews.com, 1 in 4 LGBTQ+ singles say they are choosing to rethink how and where they date. This comes in response to brewing anti-LGBTQ+ conflicts within the political sphere. 

Politics and protest have always been a part of Pride, and this year is shaping up to be no different.

Many LGBTQ+ Americans have expressed concerns about their safety and freedoms as a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation grows in the country. These growing political attacks have introduced anxiety and isolation to a number of young LGBTQ+ adults’ relationships, making it harder for them to date with freedom. 

In partnership with DatingNews.com, the Kinsey Institute conducted a nationally representative survey of 2,000 single American adults ages 18 to 91 to capture the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in today’s dating world. 

Our study reveals the fears, changes, and emotional strain LGBTQ+ singles are facing this Pride Month, during a time of heightened political urgency for the new generation.  

Gen Z Is Most Affected  

With the rise of legislation targeting LGBTQ+ rights, Pride Month has taken on a greater significance. Our survey results show that the political changes are reshaping how LGBTQ+ singles think about dating and living their truth in public.

When asked if recent shifts in rights and protections for sexual and gender minorities, such as the end of federal funding for LGBTQ+ equity initiatives, have impacted their dating lives, 1 in 4 LGBTQ+ adults surveyed reported that they’re dating differently due to the current political environment.  

“These findings provide pretty clear evidence that the current political climate is having a significant impact on the way that many LGBTQ singles are approaching dating. However, the effects seem to be most acute for the youngest LGBTQ persons,” said Dr. Justin Lehmiller, Kinsey Institute Senior Research Fellow.

Our study revealed that young LGBTQ+ Americans are more likely than older groups to say that politics are impacting their social and intimate lives. In fact, 42% of LGBTQ+ Americans ages 18 to 24 say they have changed how they date compared to only 5% of LGBTQ+ seniors ages 65 and over who say the same. 

Lehmiller suggests that this generational divide may exist because young adults are more affected by political hostility that older generations may have already built up some resilience to.

“Older LGBTQ Americans appear to be a bit more resilient to the current political challenges, perhaps because they have weathered these kinds of attacks for decades and have found other ways to cope.”

Young LGBTQ+ Americans Are Relocating

So, in what specific ways have politics impacted how LGBTQ+ adults live and date?

According to our findings, the current atmosphere is not only changing how queer people date but also where they do so. The clearest example: Young people are moving to cities where they feel more accepted.

About 1 in 5 (21%) Gen Z respondents reported having recently relocated to LGBTQ-friendly and affirming neighborhoods, which was by far the highest rate compared to other generations. 

“In some ways, it may be easier for young adults to pick up and move because they are less likely to be established in their careers and to have children. However, it may also be because they haven’t had as much time to enmesh themselves in the local community and build a support network,” said Lehmiller.

While others aren’t exactly packing up and moving cross-country, some are taking more proactive steps online. Eighteen percent of respondents said they are taking extra measures to protect their identity and privacy in online dating, with this number rising to 25% for individuals ages 18 to 24. 

The Emotional Toll of Dating While Queer in 2025

It’s clear that all the fear, surveillance, and safety concerns are draining some of the joy and spontaneity out of LGBTQ+ dating, causing incredible emotional strain for singles. Isolation is slowly turning into a companion for many LGBTQ+ adults. 

In fact, more than one-third (34.6%) of LGBTQ+ adults surveyed say they don’t feel comfortable being open about their identity while dating, creating a wall between them and finding love. An even greater number of people aged 18 to 24 (44%) agree.

Another 10% of respondents said they are less comfortable visiting LGBTQ+ establishments during this period of political upheaval, showing that fear is following some adults into what should be safe spaces. 

Amid political disruption, many in the LGBTQ+ community have found themselves at a dating crossroads where fear and resistance converge. In 2025, LGBTQ+ adults aren’t just thinking about chemistry and compatibility; they’re also prioritizing safety and survival in the face of increasing intrusion, forging connections in resistance.

Methodology

The DatingNews.com and Kinsey Institute State of Us: National Study on Modern Love & Dating in 2025 was led by Dr. Justin Lehmiller and Dr. Amanda Gesselman, with data collected and conducted by Prodege.com among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 single U.S. adults ages 18 to 91 via an online survey from April 29, 2025, to May 8, 2025.

One of the goals was to capture the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in today’s dating world. Overall, 15% of the sample (302 respondents) identified as LGBTQ+. The sample was balanced to ensure a reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. population in terms of age, gender, household income, geographic region, and race/ethnicity.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results.

For the interviews conducted in this study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.