Not that long ago, it seemed like a growing number of young people thought about traditional notions of gender like most people think about flat earth theory: “You mean people still believe that?”
There was considerable societal pressure for Generation Z to reject a binary understanding of gender. Gender-specific bathrooms and locker rooms were disappearing. Seemingly every new television program or film included non-binary characters; the younger the cast and plot points, the more likely there would be trans characters. Young adult (YA) fiction was dominated by coming-of-age stories that involved gender dysphoria. Social media influencers promoted gender fluidity and urged young people, especially girls, to question their biological sex. The momentum in athletics was towards biological men being permitted to compete in women’s sports.
A growing vibe shift, and hopefully a more lasting culture shift, became increasingly apparent during 2023 and 2024. Medical professionals increasingly raised questions about the relationship between mental illness and transgenderism. State legislatures and courts pushed back on transgenderism in intercollegiate and high school athletics. The major party candidates’ respective views of transgenderism impacted the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Moving into 2025, the Trump Administration has taken several steps to further undermine trans ideology, especially through executive orders.
A recent report indicates high schoolers and college-aged young adults are also changing their minds about transgenderism. Eric Kaufmann of the University of Buckingham’s Centre for Heterodox Social Science demonstrates that the percentage of college students who identify as transgender has dropped by almost 50% since 2023. More broadly, students are less inclined to identify as LGBTQ, with the most significant drops coming on the T and Q end of that spectrum. The younger the student, the less likely he or she is to identify as trans, indicating the decline in transgenderism will continue.
Interestingly, Kaufmann doesn’t see a correlation between these trends and decreased social media use, religious revival, a rightward political shift, or flagging support for wokeism. He does believe there is a correlation between improved mental health and the decline of transgenderism, though he cautions against reading too much into this, since mental health has improved for students who identify across the LGBTQ spectrum. Ultimately, Kaufmann compares the decline of transgenderism and queer identities to the fading of a fashion or trend. Simply put, identifying as trans is out of style. Kaufmann’s full findings are available in a white paper, which he has summarized in a shorter article and on X.
Click Here to Read More (Originally Published at World Magazine )
Nathan is a professor of faith and culture and directs the Institute for Faith and Culture at North Greenville University in Tigerville, S.C. He is the senior fellow for religious liberty for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, is a senior fellow for the Land Center for Cultural Engagement, and is a senior editor for Integration: A Journal of Faith and Learning. He also serves as teaching pastor at the First Baptist Church of Taylors, S.C.