America’s most secretive state revealed: Where residents nationwide rank first when Googling “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 ranks first for most searches for terms like “am I gay?”, “Am I lesbian?”, and “Am I trans?”
- The CCI study found a 1,300% increase in searches related to sexual and gender identity questions nationwide since 2004
Almost two decades of Google searches have revealed that Utah is the most closed state in the country.
Utah ranks first for most searches for terms like “am I gay?”, “Am I lesbian?”, and “Am I trans?” based on data collected between 2004 and 2023.
Conversely, the state did not land in the top 5 states for residents searching “how to coming out” and “non-binary.”
Oklahoma and Vermont each took first place for Googling how to reveal their sexual preferences.
Google Trends data was analyzed by the Cultural Currents Institute (CCI), which studies trends in public opinion.
Supporters held a pro-gay marriage rally in front of the Utah State Capitol in 2014. In June 2015, the Supreme Court overturned all state bans on same-sex marriage and legalized it in all states
The results also showed that searches related to sexual and gender identity issues have increased nationwide by 1,300% since 2004.
According to the CCI, the analysis suggests Utah may be the “most secretive state” in America.
Such high levels of sexual and gender identity searches may indicate an internal struggle between personal feelings and societal expectations among Internet users in Utah.
The organization suspected that a similar tension between social attitudes and the private thoughts obtained through search engine results also occurred in other socially conservative countries.
In June 2015, the US Supreme Court overturned all state bans on same-sex marriage and legalized it in all fifty states.
People hold up signs and cheer at a same-sex wedding in Utah in October 2014
After Utah, the states of Iowa, Indiana, West Virginia and New Hampshire were in the top 5 for users asking if they were gay.
For those wondering if they might be gay, the states of Connecticut, Kentucky, Washington and Colorado complete the top 5.
And for those wondering if they’re trans, Kentucky, Colorado, Michigan, and Washington have all topped search rankings for the last 19 years.
Societal attitudes towards sexual orientation and gender identity have evolved over the past two decades.
The shift in public debate and awareness has also led many to question their own sexual and gender identity.