Psychedelics May Help LGBTQ+ People Recognize Their True Identities

Psychedelic drugs may not change who you are, but emerging research suggests they can make it easier to recognise who you have always been – especially when it comes to gender and sexuality.​

What the new research shows

A 2025 study cited by Hungarian LGBTQ+ outlet Humen found that classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine were linked to noticeable shifts in how people relate to their gender identity and sexual orientation. Researchers surveyed 581 people with prior psychedelic experience, without recruiting them on the basis of gender or sexuality, to avoid biasing the sample.​

The findings were striking: roughly a quarter of women, about one in eight men and around a third of participants with other gender identities reported increased attraction to genders they had previously not been, or had been less, attracted to. Around 10% also said psychedelics had influenced how they understood or expressed their own gender, sometimes describing waves of fluidity between more “feminine” and “masculine” feelings.​

Loosening rigid stories about self

For social psychologist Daniel Kruger of the University at Buffalo, who led the research, these effects remain a minority experience but are significant enough to challenge long‑held assumptions that sexuality and gender are always fixed. He notes that, instead of “turning” people queer or straight, psychedelic experiences seem to help some participants acknowledge desires and possibilities that were already present but suppressed.​

Clinical psychologist Jae Sevelius, a leading researcher in psychedelic‑assisted care for trans and gender‑diverse people, describes part of the appeal of psychedelics as their ability to “loosen our fixed notions of ourselves in the world”. In interviews highlighted by Humen’s coverage, Sevelius explains that these substances do not manufacture new identities; they create psychological space in which questions about gender and sexuality can finally be faced with more self‑compassion and less fear.​

Slow‑burn awakenings

Contrary to the pop‑culture image of instant revelation, many participants report that identity‑related changes unfold slowly after the trip itself. In one case described in the reporting, a religious leader only began to reconsider his sexuality years after a psilocybin session that had subtly shifted how he related to his own desires.​

Qualitative research with transgender and gender‑expansive people likewise shows that naturalistic psychedelic use can foster greater gender self‑acceptance, a more expansive view of gender, and moments of gender euphoria, but often through a long integration process rather than a single, life‑altering night. Participants frequently speak of psychedelics as helping them feel “at home” in their identities, even when the outside world remains hostile.​

Why this matters for LGBTQ+ communities

For many LGBTQ+ people, especially those growing up with strong stigma, shame and external expectations can bury or fragment any sense of authentic desire or gender. Therapists and researchers quoted by Humen and LGBTQ Nation stress that psychedelics do not create queerness where none existed; instead, they can lower the volume on internalised homophobia and transphobia long enough for buried feelings to surface.​

This potential comes with clear caveats. Psychedelics remain illegal or tightly controlled in many countries, can trigger intense psychological distress, and are not a substitute for gender‑affirming or queer‑competent care. Experts emphasise that anyone exploring these substances – whether in clinical trials or underground settings – needs informed consent, harm‑reduction strategies and, crucially, an affirming environment in which to process what comes up.​

Remembering, not becoming, yourself

Across studies and testimonies, a common theme emerges: psychedelics seem less like tools for reinvention and more like catalysts for remembering. As one source quoted in Humen’s report put it, these experiences can help people “remember who they have always been deep down” – a description that may resonate with anyone who has taken years to find language for their queerness.​

For LGBTQ+ communities already at the forefront of reimagining gender and sexuality, this research adds nuance to an ongoing conversation: in the right conditions, altered states of consciousness might not change your identity, but they can make it safer – and sometimes finally possible – to live it.

This article does not encourage or promote drug use. Psychedelic substances remain illegal or strictly regulated in many countries, can carry serious physical and mental health risks, and may interact dangerously with existing conditions or medications. Anyone considering their use should seek reliable medical advice, be aware of local laws, and prioritise harm‑reduction and supportive, queer‑affirming care over unsupervised or recreational experimentation.