Decline in Transgender Identification Among Young People Signals Shift in Cultural Trends

Recent data from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) reveals a meaningful shift in how young people in the United States understand gender. In 2024, 5.2% of undergraduate students identified as a gender other than male or female. By 2025, that number had fallen to 3.6%. Similar declines have been observed at institutions such as Andover Phillips Academy and Brown University, suggesting a broad trend across the country. This change is especially notable among Gen Z, who are increasingly distancing themselves from identity labels that were once promoted as essential to self-expression.

Experts like Eric Kaufman, a professor of politics, suggest this movement is less about political ideology and more about cultural maturation. He compares the rise and fall of non-binary identification to the ebb and flow of fashion trends—popular for a time, then quietly replaced by more enduring values. What we are seeing now may not be a sudden reversal, but a natural correction toward stability after a period of rapid social experimentation.

The timing of this shift coincides with growing concern about youth mental health. As the number of young people identifying with non-traditional gender categories has dropped, so too have reports of anxiety, depression, and identity confusion among teens. While correlation does not prove causation, it is reasonable to consider that fewer young people are adopting identities that feel externally imposed or inconsistent with their lived experience. When identity is rooted in personal truth rather than cultural pressure, emotional well-being tends to improve.

This trend stands in contrast to the policies of the previous administration, which pushed expansive gender initiatives into schools, healthcare systems, and public life. Taxpayer-funded medical procedures for minors, mandatory classroom discussions on gender fluidity, and the redefinition of gender roles in public spaces were all presented as necessary steps toward inclusion. Yet these policies often bypassed parental involvement, minimized long-term risks, and prioritized ideology over individual well-being.

Now, as those policies lose momentum, a quieter but more lasting shift is emerging. Parents, educators, and mental health professionals report that young people are expressing greater confidence in their natural development. They are turning away from labels that feel alienating and returning to a more grounded understanding of self. This is not a rejection of compassion or care, but a return to a deeper kind of wisdom—one that values truth, consistency, and the dignity of the human person as created.

The movement toward traditional understandings of gender is not about enforcing rigid rules. It is about restoring balance. When identity is shaped by biology, history, and the common experience of human life, it fosters stronger communities and healthier individuals. It allows young people to grow without being forced into roles that do not reflect their nature. It encourages families to guide their children with love, not fear.

This shift should not be dismissed as political. It is a response to real outcomes—better mental health, stronger family bonds, and a renewed sense of belonging. It reflects a generation that is learning to trust its own experience, rather than follow fleeting trends. In doing so, it is rediscovering the enduring strength found in tradition, clarity, and the quiet dignity of living as one was made.

As society continues to reflect on recent years, it is clear that progress is not always forward motion. Sometimes, it is the return to what has long been known as true. The declining numbers in non-traditional gender identification are not a sign of regression, but of growth—toward stability, health, and a more authentic way of being human.

Published: 10/15/2025