Here’s How Americans Really Feel About LGBTQ Issues

KEY FACTS

Broad Support For Same-Sex Relationships: A May 2022 Gallup poll found 71% of Americans believe gay and lesbian relations are “morally acceptable,” versus 25% who say they’re “morally wrong.”

Gender Identity A Divisive Issue: A Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation poll conducted in November and December 2022 finding 57% believe “whether someone is a man or a woman is determined by the sex they were assigned at birth,” and Axios/Ipsos polling from May finding only 44% believe “people should be able to decide their gender identity for themselves.”

Anti-Trans Attacks May Be Working: The GOP’s attacks on transgender rights may be rolling back public opinion on larger gender issues, with a Pew poll finding the share of Americans who believe sex is assigned at birth went up from 54% in 2017 to 60% in May 2022.

Increasing Support For Trans Bathroom Bans: Support for policies that require people to use restrooms that correspond with their biological sex has increased, however, PRRI noted, going up from only 35% who favored such policies in 2016 to 52% in 2022.

Gender-Affirming Care—Divided On Treatment: A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll conducted in March found a 54% majority oppose policies that would criminalize gender-affirming medical care for minors, though the Post/KFF poll found that while most Americans support transgender youth receiving gender-affirming counseling or therapy (62% for children ages 10-14 and 66% for those ages 15-17), most oppose transgender youth receiving puberty-blocking medication or hormonal treatments (31% support for ages 10-14 and 42% support for ages 15-17).

Drag Bans Unpopular: Americans largely oppose bans on drag performances like a law passed in Tennessee—now blocked in court—with the NPR/PBS/Marist poll finding 58% oppose legislation that would “restrict drag shows or performances,” including 73% of Democrats, 37% of Republicans and 57% of Independents.

Majority Support Transgender Sports Bans: A majority of respondents in the Post/KFF poll said transgender women and girls should not be allowed to compete with other women and girls, with opposition ranging from 62% opposing trans participation in youth sports and 65% opposing transgender women in college and professional sports, to 66% who were against transgender women in high school sports.

Gender And Sex Teaching Unpopular With Younger Ages: An October 2022 Pew poll found K-12 parents were split 31% to 31% on whether students should be taught that gender is determined by sex at birth or not—with a 37% plurality saying that topic shouldn’t be taught at all—and the September Times/Siena poll found majorities were opposed to classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary and middle school (with 70% and 54% opposing, respectively), though a 56% majority backed those topics being taught in high school.

Approved – Sully