America’s Most Closed State Revealed: Where Residents Come First in the Country to Google the Terms ‘Am I Gay?’, ‘Am I Lesbian?’ and ‘Am I trans?
- Google Trends data from 2004 and 2023 was analyzed by the Cultural Currents Institute (CCI) which studies trends in public opinion
- Utah tops most searches for terms such as “Am I gay?” », « Am I a lesbian? and “Am I trans?” »
- CCI study found 1,300% national increase in searches related to sexual and gender identity issues since 2004
Nearly two decades of Google searches found Utah to be the most closed state in the country.
Utah tops most searches for terms such as “Am I gay?” », « Am I a lesbian? and “Am I trans?” according to data collected between 2004 and 2023.
Conversely, the state did not make it into the top five states for residents searching for “how to date” and “non-binary.”
Oklahoma and Vermont respectively took the top spot for Google how to reveal your sexual preferences.
Data from Google Trends was analyzed by the Cultural Currents Institute (CCI), which studies trends in public opinion.
Supporters hold a pro-gay marriage rally outside the Utah State Capitol in 2014. In June 2015, the Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage, legalizing it in all jurisdictions. States.
The results also revealed that searches related to sexual and gender identity issues have increased by 1,300% since 2004 nationwide.
According to the CCI, the analysis suggests that Utah could be the “most closed state” in America.
Such a high level of sexual and gender identity research might suggest an internal struggle between personal feelings and societal expectations among Utah internet users.
The organization suggested that other socially conservative states also showed a similar tension between social attitudes and private thoughts obtained through search engine results.
In June 2015, the United States Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage, legalizing it in all fifty states.
People hold signs and cheer during a same-sex marriage celebration in Utah in October 2014
After Utah, the states of Iowa, Indiana, West Virginia and New Hampshire made up the top five for users asking if they were gay.
For those wondering if they might be lesbians, the states of Connecticut, Kentucky, Washington and Colorado round out the top five.
And for those wondering if they were trans, Kentucky, Colorado, Michigan, and Washington have topped the search rankings for the past 19 years.
Social attitudes around sexual orientation and gender identity over the past two decades have evolved.
Changes in public conversation and awareness have also led many people to ask questions about their own sexual and gender identity.
