Half of Queer Millennials in Australia Are Still Closeted

A disturbing new study conducted in Australia found that life isn’t as easy for young queer people as we may have believed.

ABC reported that a What’s Up In Your World survey found that 47 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 29 are still in the closet. Out of the 11,000 surveyed, this chunk of people, nearly half of queer millennials, said that they are out to themselves but not to anyone else.

Somewhat unsurprisingly — though devastatingly — bisexual men were found to be the least likely group to come out. According to the survey, lesbians are the most likely to tell others about their sexuality, with 86 percent having come out. Gay men were a close second at 83 percent, then bisexual women at 48 percent, and finally, bisexual men at 40 percent.

And if you think it’s better in America, you’re way off. Unfortunately, a similar study done by HRC in June found that 46 percent of LGBTQ Americans, almost the same number as the Australian survey, hide their sexuality at work.

Sometimes, it can feel like the quality of life for LGBTQ people is overall improving — and while that may be true in some places, unfortunately, there’s still a significant amount of work to do and a vast number of harmful stereotypes to be dismantled.

In December of last year, Australia passed a landslide bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Hopefully, the new law of the land will lead to an influx of progress for LGBTQ Aussies.

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