New Study Reveals How Politics Is Reshaping Queer Dating and Travel

I get a lot of press releases about the LGBTQ stuff. Honestly, most of them I skim over. They’re not relevant to my LGBTQ travel beat. However, this recent one stopped me in my tracks. 

DatingNews.com let me know about their recent study on the current political climate in the US and how it’s impacting the queer dating scene.

The top line findings astonished me (okay, all but one). 

• One in 5 Gen Z queers have relocated to LGBTQ safer states and cities. 
• 34% of single queer people say they are comfortable being open about their identity while dating
• For Gen Zs, that jumps to 44%. 

Long story short, the young queer folks are hiding.

Gen Z queers are laying low, staying in, and avoiding queer dating and public spaces that could out them as LGBTQIA. Is this bad for LGBTQ nightlife, or the catalyst we need to offer more inclusive options? I spoke with the Dr. Justin Lehmiller, a senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute who was involved with the study, to dig deeper on the queer dating survey and what it means for nightlife and entertainment businesses.

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Behind the Queer Dating Survey

Dr. Justin terms dating in the current political climate “an act of resilience and resistance.” 

The study didn’t look at where people were moving to, or which cities and states had the biggest population shift – two things I would love to know. But it’s pretty safe to assume that Gen Z folks are moving out of states that are passing anti-trans legislation and into stats where their identities are respected and protected. 

This means states with robust nondiscrimination policies and access to gender-affirming care on the books. 

Here’s a refresher on the safest states for trans folks and the best and worst states for LGBTQ right now – freshly updated for 2026. 

“Although we didn’t ask if people were more likely to be out about their identities following such a move, it’s likely that they were. We know from other research that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be open about their identities when it feels safer for them to do so,” says Dr. Justin.

How A Queer Dating Recession Could Impact LGBTQ Nightlife  

Study participants said they spend less time in dedicated LGBTQ+ spaces. When they do enter these spaces, they wait for safety in numbers. Think Pride month, when queer folks and allies come out to celebrate.

The implications for travel and nightlife are pretty clear to me. If you’re not going to be open about your identity, you are not going to walk into the queer bar that’s festooned with rainbow flags. 

You are not going to check out the queer board game night hosted at the trans-owned coffeeshop. 

You are not going to attend the lesbian hike meetup for fear of running into someone you know in real life.

Here’s the thing. A rainbow recession is going to hit LGBTQ businesses. From gay bars and LGBTQ centers to queer parties and pop-up events, these institutions often exist in gayborhoods. They rely on queer people to stay in business, and if we don’t support them, they are not going to be there for our community when queer dating feels safer. 

There’s another possible explanation for why young people aren’t spending as much time in gay bars. They’re drinking less – if they even drink at all. Given that many bars and nightlife spaces center alcohol, sober Gen Z folks could be avoiding them for that reason alone. 

Gen Z is also dating less, and having less sex.

Many lack social skills and struggle to make small talk, something I’ve observed when talking with young queer folks in my small city and heard anecdotally from hospitality professionals I’ve interviewed.

No shade on Gen Z. I was once a socially awkward introvert who despised small talk, too.

It could be that Gen Z queers are less scared of being perceived queer in a time of rising homophobia and transphobia than they are unsure how to navigate in-personal scenes, like queer bars and clubs.

As they learn social skills and gain comfort, they could come back to the queer bars.

Are you a Gen Z queer? Drop me a line and let me know whether you’ve changed your queer dating and socializing habits as a result of the political climate. Let me know if you’ve moved, or are planing to once you save up enough money.

My two cents is that queer social scenes ned more options, including social options that don’t center booze. I love a good gay bar and I often seek them out when I travel.

But if I could also choose a queer bookstore or cafe or yoga class, I’d throw that in the mix as well.

If young queer folks are dating and drinking less, could it usher in a more expansive social scene that benefits all of us?

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