Poll shows most US adults agree that politicians use attacks on trans rights to distract
The survey comes amid a wave of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in state legislatures.
A poll released in early June by the Los Angeles Times and NORC at the University of Chicago shows that more than three-quarters of Americans believe politicians are using debates about LGBTQ+ rights to distract from real issues.
According to the poll, 77% of U.S. adults agree with the statement “Elected officials are mostly using debates over transgender and nonbinary people to distract attention from more pressing priorities.”
The new poll isn’t alone in showing this sentiment from the public. A March poll of about 600 South Carolina voters showed 71% opposed allowing the government to “intervene in LGBTQ gender-affirming health care decisions that regard individuals under the age of 18.”
In 2022, a survey from the Pew Research Center showed 64% of those polled believe transgender people should be protected from discrimination.
The Los Angeles Times/NORC poll also showed a high degree of support for LGBTQ+ rights in general, with 71% of U.S. adults voicing support for marriage equality.
It did show mixed support for some Republican priorities concerning LGBTQ+ rights, with 43% of adults surveyed saying they believe schools should always or almost always inform parents when a child identifies as nonbinary or transgender; 42% indicated they felt schools should respect students’ wishes and not notify parents when asked in such cases.
“It’s a bit depressing, frankly,” said Rachel Wineman, a 41-year-old poll respondent from Murrieta, California, who has a 13-year-old nonbinary child, according to reporting from the Los Angeles Times. “I can only hope that it will get better as more people discuss it. At least it’s getting out there.”
The latest survey comes amid a wave of bills intended to curtail trans and LGBTQ+ rights.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills had been introduced during the 2024 legislative sessions in state capitol buildings across the country as of mid-June.
In Wisconsin, 14 bills were introduced during the most recent legislative session; all either failed to advance by the end of the session or were vetoed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
