RESEARCH

Neurodivergence and the LGBTQ+ Community

Resources and peer-reviewed research on the occurrence and intersectionality of neurodivergence and the LGBTQ+ community.

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Date Issued: March 23, 2023

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Issue: Recent reporting has misled the general public with claims that a high percentage or majority of queer-identifying individuals do so because they are neurodivergent, confusing the ideas of mental illness, neurodivergence, and LGBTQ+ identity.

Summary: Research consistently shows that while there is an overlap between the neurodivergent community and the LGBTQ+ community, there is no research concluding that a large proportion of the queer-identifying population are neurodivergent. Further, research continues to show that occurrences of mental illness are typically the result of stigma and social effects from identifying as LGBTQ+ as opposed to the cause (case topic for future reporting). Research consistently shows that the neurodivergent community has a higher likelihood of identifying as LGBTQ+ compared to the general population but this does not correlate to significant causation of queer identification.

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Read the full report.

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