Forty percent of Brown University students say they are LGBT, suggesting social contagion

New survey data from Brown University’s student newspaper provides further evidence that the increase in LGBT identification is driven by social pressures. "Over the past decade, LGBTQ+ identification has increased across the nation, with especially sharp growth at Brown." The idea of LGBT identification as a social contagion is one that continues to draw criticism among academics. But the notion that social pressure plays a role in LGBT identification is only controversial because the group is a sacred cow. However, the idea that peer pressure plays a role in our behaviors and lifestyles is acknowledged in other less controversial areas.