California - Americans approve of LGBTQ+ people living as they wish, but their support drops for trans people, poll shows
Full Article (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-06/lgbtq-trans-people-american-support-poll)
Los Angeles Times - Kevin Rector, Staff Writer
June 6, 2024, 3 AM PT
Americans broadly support LGBTQ+ people living as they wish, with large majorities backing same-sex marriage, same-sex couples raising children and laws to protect queer people from job discrimination, according to a new nationwide poll for the Los Angeles Times.
The public offers less support for transgender and nonbinary people. And support for all LGBTQ+ groups drops among Republicans, people who identify as Protestant and those who don't personally know anyone queer, ...
The survey also found deep divisions on questions related to queer youth, such as whether children should have access to gender-affirming medical care.
The poll, ... was designed in part to re-ask questions from a groundbreaking survey on American perceptions of gay and lesbian people that The Times conducted in 1985.
In 1985, 72% of American adults said sexual relations between adults of the same sex were always or almost always wrong. Today, that has dropped to 28%.
In 1985, 64% said they would be very upset if their child was gay or lesbian. Now, 14% said that.
In 1985, 51% said they favored laws protecting gay and lesbian people from job discrimination. In the latest poll, 77% do.
Read More Here (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-06/lgbtq-trans-people-american-support-poll)
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The poll shows that people are more understanding and accepting when they know someone who is transgender. I think that is because they get to know us and realize that we are not weirdos, monsters, and pedophiles as some would tell them. I have a friend who said she enjoys going to gay bars (she is hetero and cis) because gay and trans people (all LGBTQ+) are the happiest people she knows. When we show people that we have no agenda, we just want to live our lives and be who we are, they begin to realize that the reason we are happy is that we are being true to ourselves and others.
Quote from: LoriDee on June 07, 2024, 11:02:12 AMAnd support for all LGBTQ+ groups drops among ... those who don't personally know anyone queer
My wife and I take this personally. Her coming out seems to make the world a more pleasant and safer place as people have their first known encounter with a trans woman. This sense of mission gives us courage to be real.
On the other hand, we feel better around people who are familiar with a variety of trans people. We think that coming out makes this more common.