Across the United Kingdom and the United States, a striking generational and gender divide is reshaping the social and political landscape, with young women and men increasingly drifting apart in their worldviews and priorities. Recent data from both sides of the Atlantic reveals not only differing political allegiances but also a surge in identity-driven movements among youth, most notably the rise in young people identifying as transgender and the changing patterns of party support.
In August 2025, the Williams Institute published a study that sent ripples through American society. According to the institute, 1% of the U.S. population aged over 13 now identifies as transgender, but among teenagers aged 13 to 17, that figure leaps to 3.3%. This translates to approximately 2.8 million transgender Americans, including 724,000 trans kids. The numbers represent a dramatic shift: just three years ago, there were 1.6 million trans Americans, including 1.4% of 13-to-17-year-olds. In other words, the proportion of children identifying as trans has more than doubled in a remarkably short period.
While the Williams Institute attributes some of this increase to improved data collection, the sheer jump—an additional 424,000 trans kids—has sparked debate and concern. The phenomenon is not confined to the U.S. In the UK, the now-defunct Tavistock gender identity clinic saw referrals skyrocket from just 50 children in 2009 to almost 2,000 in 2016, and over 5,000 by 2021/22. Notably, the majority of these referrals were for biologically female patients, a trend mirrored in Sweden, the Netherlands, and Spain.
What’s driving these numbers? Some, including critics of current gender-affirming care models, argue that social contagion and peer influence play a significant role. They point to the rapid rise among young girls and the parallel increase in other social phenomena, like the sudden spike in teenage girls exhibiting Tourette’s Syndrome-like symptoms in 2021—an uptick linked to TikTok influencers. According to Dr. Hilary Cass, who led a 2024 review into NHS gender youth services, social media and online influencers have had a "substantial impact on their child’s beliefs and understanding of their gender." Her review found that online information often frames normal adolescent discomfort as a possible sign of being trans, with particular influencers shaping young people’s beliefs.
Yet, the trans and LGBT advocacy community strongly rejects the notion that this is merely a trend or social contagion. Dr. Andrew Flores of the Williams Institute told The Guardian that the growing number of trans-identifying youth is evidence that "people are now in an environment that allows them to fully express who they are," rather than a result of peer pressure. Activists also argue that the proliferation of new language and labels—pansexual, nonbinary, genderfluid—reflects a society where young people feel freer to describe their authentic selves. Older generations of LGB people are more likely to stick with labels like gay or lesbian, while younger people embrace more fluid identities, often without pursuing medical transition.
This debate is not just academic. It has real-world implications for policy. In the U.S., former President Donald Trump revoked federal funding for clinics that attempt to transition minors, a move cheered by gender-critical activists. In the UK, children are now barred from receiving puberty blockers outside of medical trials. Advocates argue these measures are necessary to protect children from irreversible interventions, while critics see them as attacks on trans rights and bodily autonomy.
Meanwhile, a different but related divide is emerging in the UK’s political sphere. According to a 2025 survey by Focaldata for the John Smith Centre, 20% of young British women aged 16 to 29 now identify as left wing, compared to just 13% of young men. The 2024 general election confirmed this split: only 12% of women aged 18 to 24 voted for right-leaning parties like Reform UK or the Conservatives, compared to 22% of men. Labour remains the most popular choice among young voters, with a slight bias toward women, while the Green Party polled particularly well with young women, gaining 23% of their vote—almost double the share among young men.
Political scientists are still puzzling over the roots of this gender gap. Dr. Ceri Fowler of Oxford University notes, "Young people are still more progressive in their attitudes compared to older generations, but when you break that down there is a divide where young men are more right wing and young women more left wing." She points out that the divide is most pronounced at the extremes, with young men gravitating toward Reform UK and young women toward the Greens.
Personal stories bear out these trends. Lucy Thomas, a 19-year-old student in Glasgow, told BBC that she voted Labour in 2024 but now feels more drawn to new left-wing movements, citing Gaza as a major issue for her generation. She observes, "Young men are turning towards Reform," and credits the party’s strong social media presence for its appeal. Daze Aghaji, a 25-year-old environmental activist, sees women "leaning further to the left as we are feeling the ways the world isn't functioning properly," while many young men cling to traditional visions of masculinity.
Social media again emerges as a critical battleground. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, boasts more than a million followers on TikTok as of 2025, using the platform to connect with disillusioned youth. Farage has argued that society is trying to "feminise" young men, making the views of influencers like Andrew Tate more attractive—though he insists he is not a Tate supporter. Reform UK has also launched a Women for Reform campaign, fronted by MP Sarah Pochin and Dame Andrea Jenkyns, in a bid to narrow its gender gap as its vote share expands, particularly among Gen X women.
Underlying these shifts are deeper structural changes. More young women than men now attend university, where liberal attitudes are more prevalent, and polling suggests university graduates are more likely to support left-wing parties. Researchers suspect social media further amplifies these divides, offering alternative narratives and communities to those who feel alienated by mainstream politics.
But not everyone agrees on the narrative. Mark Brooks, director of policy at the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys, warns against pathologizing young men. He argues that both young men and women are drifting away from the two main parties, and that the focus should be on addressing the economic and social needs of young men. "We need more young men in work, more able to get skills to get into work, and more young men to feel like society is on their side. The political world should talk positively about young men," he says.
As the dust settles from recent elections and policy battles, one thing is clear: the generational and gender divides in Western societies are deepening, shaped by new identities, shifting allegiances, and the powerful influence of social media. Whether these trends signal lasting change or the turbulence of a generation in flux remains to be seen, but the voices of young people—on both sides of the divide—will be impossible to ignore in the years ahead.
