New GLAAD Report Shows Supermajority Public Support of LGBTQ+ People
Public acceptance is down 4% from last year due to anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, however
A new report from GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, shows sustained and continued supermajority support for the LGBTQ+ community despite negative rhetoric and propaganda from the Right.
The Accelerating Acceptance Study, however, showed a 4% decline in overall support from last year. It also showed a significant increase in discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, especially Generation Z, the most publicly out generation in history.
The findings show sustained supermajority support:
95% of non-LGBTQ Americans believe schools should be safe and accepting for all youth
93% say children should be taught to appreciate and accept people as they are
82% surveyed say they would back someone who is lesbian, gay or bisexual, and 77% saying the same about a transgender or non-binary person.
The findings also show the negative impact of relentless disinformation campaigns against LGBTQ people:
80% support LGBTQ equal rights, down from a record high of 84% one year ago
70% of LGBTQ GenZ adults report discrimination based on their sexual orientation
LGBTQ adults report negative mental health impact, fear for their safety, and online and real world harassment as a result of the political discourse in the country
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said,
GLAAD’s 2024 Accelerating Acceptance Study arrives at a monumental inflection point for the LGBTQ community and for our entire country. While acceptance for LGBTQ people remains at supermajority levels, the data this year also sounds substantial alarms about threats to this progress and to freedoms valued by every American. The same extremist lawmakers, judges and media sources targeting abortion access, contraception, free and fair elections, and free speech, are using the same strategies of fear and disinformation to undermine LGBTQ people and our equality. Fortunately, the data also points to proven ways to keep expanding and accelerating acceptance. Our study shows that more non-LGBTQ people have been inspired to speak up for LGBTQ equality as a result of accurate news coverage, and voters have shown up in election after election to reject extremist candidates and their anti-trans campaigns. GLAAD’s Accelerating Acceptance Study should continue to inspire and empower all of us to rise up and speak out for everyone’s freedom to be themselves. Our safety, our collective success, and the future of our democracy depend on it.
I could not agree more.
Amen.