New survey shows much greater acceptance for LGBTQ+ people over the past 40 years
Transgender acceptance still lags behind, however
The National Opinion Research Center at University of Chicago along with the LA Times just released the results of a new study that shows how much opinions about the LGBTQ+ community have shifted since 1985.
In their January 2024 study, NORC replicated questions used in 1985 by the LA Times in a survey about public attitudes towards gay and lesbian people but added questions about bisexual, transgender and non-binary people.
“The 1985 survey data were an invaluable benchmark for measuring how public opinion towards the gay and lesbian community has shifted over the last 40 years,” said Dan Malato, senior research director in the Public Affairs & Media Research department at NORC. “By also asking new questions about other LGBTQ+ groups, like bisexual, nonbinary, and transgender people, the data are even more powerful in understanding perceptions toward these communities today.”
https://norc.org/research/library/new-study-shows-greater-acceptance-gay-lesbian-community-1985.html
Result
While acceptance of gay and lesbian people has increased, acceptance of the transgender and nonbinary community is lagging.
Our poll finds that acceptance of people who identify as gay and lesbian has grown significantly since 1985, and strong majorities today approve of them living their lives as they wish. Notably, while 67 percent believed that sexual relations between adults of the same sex were always wrong in 1985, 64 percent of adults today do not see it as an issue at all.
Over three quarters of US adults surveyed personally know someone LGBTQ+, with 77% any LGBTQ+, 72% gay or lesbian, 40% bisexual and 27% transgender or non-binary. In 1985 only 24% of adults surveyed knew someone LGBTQ+. Democrats and non-religiously affiliated are far more likely to know someone LGBTQ+.
The survey also shows that while public opinion towards LGBTQ+ has become more positive overall, challenges in society still exist for the transgender community.
“The survey results consistently highlight the greater challenges that the transgender and nonbinary community face in politics, health care, and daily life compared to gay, lesbian, and bisexual people,” said David Lauter, who oversaw the development of the poll as senior editor at the Los Angeles Times. “These challenges toward acceptance were particularly acute among certain political and religious groups.”
Large differences in views emerge along partisan lines regarding gender expression. Democrats are more likely to think people who feel their gender does not match the sex they were assigned at birth were born that way (67% vs. 25%), while Republicans are more likely to believe it is a result of societal influence (45% vs. 14%). There are also differences according to LGBTQ+ identity and having an acquaintance who is LGBTQ+.
Half the public think transgender or nonbinary is the true identity for adults, while most think it may be just a phase for young children or teenagers. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe that identifying as transgender or nonbinary is a phase always or most of the time for children (68% vs. 21%), teenagers (57% vs. 15%), and adults (36% vs. 5%). Differences also emerge according to age, LGBTQ+ identity, and knowing someone who is LGBTQ+.
Overall, the public is split on whether the increased attention on transgender and nonbinary people has been supportive or not. The LGBTQ+ community and Democrats are more likely to say the attention has not been supportive.
Despite consensus on other areas, the public is divided on laws and policies specifically impacting transgender and nonbinary people. This is particularly the case for laws related to gender-affirming care for minors compared with laws applying to adults.
When it comes to transgender athletes competing on the sports teams of the gender with which they identify, 31% think transgender girls should be able to compete on girls’ teams and 29% think the same about transgender women on women’s teams. More, but still less than half, support transgender boys competing on boys’ teams (41%) or transgender men on men’s teams (39%). Most who identify as LGBTQ+, however, support transgender people competing on the team of the gender with which they identify. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to feel transgender people should be allowed to compete on sports teams based on the gender they identify with.
Overall, 77% of adults think issues related to transgender and nonbinary people are mostly used by elected officials as a distraction from more pressing priorities, while 21% think they are important priorities for elected officials. Republicans more often than Democrats think these issues are mostly used as a distraction from more pressing priorities (86% vs. 71%).
Other key findings
82% of adults think LGBTQ+ people have had at least some influence on American society through arts and entertainment.
68% of adults think LGBTQ+ people have had at least some influence on civil rights and the law.
56% of adults think LGBTQ+ people have had at least some influence on government.
70% of adults support public schools teaching the history and contribution of LGBTQ+ in society with 28% opposing.
These findings clearly show the reasons why younger people are coming out LGBTQ+ in larger numbers and it has nothing to do with “grooming” or allowing books with LGBTQ+ themes to exist in libraries. Clearly Republicans are on the wrong side of history on this debate, as they are with most issues in the United States.