America’s Most Closed-Off State Revealed: Where Residents Rank First in the Country for Googling the Terms “Am I Gay?”, “Am I Lesbian?” and ‘Am I trans?
- Google Trends data from 2004 and 2023 analyzed by the Cultural Currents Institute (CCI), which studies trends in public opinion
- Utah ranks first for most searches for terms such as “Am I gay?”, “Am I a lesbian?” and “Am I trans?”
- CCI research found a 1,300% nationwide increase in searches related to questions about sexual and gender identity since 2004
Nearly 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 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 rank in the top five states for residents who searched for “How to come out” and “non-binary.”
Oklahoma and Vermont, respectively, took out the top for Googling how to reveal your sexual preferences.
Google Trends data has been 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 lifted all state bans on same-sex marriage and legalized it in all states
The findings also revealed that searches related to questions about sexual and gender identity have increased by 1,300% nationwide since 2004.
According to the CCI, the analysis suggests that Utah may be America’s “most closed-off state.”
Such a high number of searches for sexual and gender identity could indicate an internal struggle between personal feelings and societal expectations among Internet users in Utah.
The organization suggested that other socially conservative states also showed a similar amount of tension between social attitudes and the personal thoughts obtained from search engine results.
In June 2015, the US Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage and legalized it in all fifty states.
People hold signs and cheer at 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 users asking if they were gay.
For those wondering if they might be lesbian, 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 search results for the past 19 years.
Social attitudes towards sexual orientation and gender identity have evolved over the past two decades.
The shift in public conversation and awareness has also led many to question their own sexual and gender identity.