State of the Gaytion

Pride month is upon us. And whilst there is much to love and be grateful for, there are also certain aspects of the season I could gladly go without: poorly made drinks without ice in Soho Square, gay men brandishing clipboards with too much vim on parade day, and paper fans being clacked slightly off the beat all night long. But above all, the thing I’d really like to banish is the slew of sensationalist generalisations in the media about how society is changing in its sexuality, attitudes, and identity. Generalisations that are rarely based on solid data, and often based on a cultural agenda, one way or the other.

So, this year, I’m setting out to pour some cold water on the flames from the off, and try to cooly review YouGov’s most relevant data set going on sexuality in the UK. The YouGov data pertaining to sexuality is particularly good because of the way in which it asks the questions. You see, the thing is, sexuality is not an easy topic to gather reliable data on. Because sexuality is so much more than who we feel attracted to. Like it or not, it is part of our identity, whether that’s an identity we choose to project outwardly, or an identity that others project onto us. And as human beings, our sense of identity is something we hold dear and tend to protect at all costs.

So when it feels threatened, yes, even in a survey, we attempt to reinforce it. Most surveys ask respondents if they identity as Lesbian or Gay, Bisexual, Straight etc. Because of the direct way the question is asked, the identity need is immediately triggered and even if, deep down, the respondent’s feelings are to some extent fluid, their need to reinforce their identity will kick in and they will simply re-affirm their pre-existing labels that they have lived comfortably with, and defended, up to that point. The ONS data on Sexual Orientation in The UK is an example of this. It asks the question in this identity-triggering way – asking people to identify as lesbian, gay, bi, straight etc. And the result is unsurprising. In its most recent survey, a whopping 93.4 per cent of people in the UK identify as heterosexual, a number which has stayed broadly the same since 2019.

But the YouGov sexuality survey does things very differently. It is so smart because it manages to skirt around the hurdle, and gently asks about sexuality without triggering the respondent’s fundamental identity needs. Instead of asking them directly if they identify as straight, lesbian, bisexual, etc, it asks them to rank their sexuality on a scale from 0 to 6 where 0 is completely heterosexual and 6 is completely homosexual. When asked in this non-threatening way, the YouGov data generates a vastly different response from the ONS data. Only 67 per cent of all respondents in the YouGov survey describe themselves as completely heterosexual. (70 per cent for men and just 63 per cent for women).

And then an even bigger variance, as we might expect, comes when we take a closer look at young people and how they vary from the total population in their sexuality scale. Societal shifts and more progressive attitudes tend to have a much stronger impact on those still in their formative years, and this plays out in the data that we see. In the YouGov survey only 46 per cent of 18–24 year olds consider themselves to be completely heterosexual. That’s less than half. And even among 25-49 year olds, this only rises to 58 per cent. That genuinely is a major generational shift worth paying attention to. Let it sink in. Around half of the under fifties in the UK see their sexuality as at least somewhat fluid.

This is significant. If, when asked in the right way, such a huge proportion of under fifties don’t consider themselves to be completely heterosexual, then when it comes to representation, codes, and stories, brands can probably afford to loosen up a bit. Perhaps, there is not so much to fear from the post-purpose narratives over the last few years that have created an atmosphere of such trepidation. Looking at the data above, it’s really not surprising that in mainstream pop culture, shows like 'Heated Rivalry' became such incredible breakout hits of 2026. Because in reality, its themes really aren’t that niche at all…

This YouGov data I have been fanboying over in this article, isn’t just useful for thinking about Pride and for brands grappling with representation and inclusive marketing. Their survey data is also a helpful reminder of the importance of not just asking the right questions, but asking them in the right way. It might seem silly, but even in a survey we are still all very much humans. Irritable, complex, beautiful, defensive humans. And that means that some survey questions can open us up. And some survey questions can shut us right down. The key to a good survey question is one that thoughtfully gives the respondent the freedom to answer truthfully.

And freedom to be truthful, not in a survey, but in life, is what Pride is all about.

Happy Pride.

Matt Waksman is head of strategy at Droga5 London