Many LGBTQ+ People Are Religious. Why Don’t We Have More Data About Them?

Jasmine Mithani at The 19th examines the gap in polling data on LGBTQ individuals’ religious affiliation. While this gap in the research is partially due to the difficulty of analyzing small population sizes, PRRI CEO Melissa Deckman, Ph.D. stated that it is also because “the default assumption often is that if you’re part of the LGBTQ community […] you’re probably not religious.” A recent survey of 1,255 LGBTQ+ adults conducted by PRRI’s Public Fellows found that the majority were raised religious; among those who now identified as religiously unaffiliated, a third still “felt a connection to their religious heritage.” Our 2022 American Values Atlas finds that about 2 in 10 non-Christians identify as LGBTQ.

What Trump Has Taken From Us

At Vox, Zack Beauchamp investigates the reasons why the United States’ previously strong democratic culture is “withering before our eyes.” With 75% percent of Americans saying the future of American democracy is at risk in the 2024 election in the 2023 PRRI American Values Survey, Beauchamp writes that Republican attacks on American democratic institutions have already done permanent damage by initiating a negative feedback loop of distrust in democracy across both parties. As Amanda Marcotte observes at Salon, the political landscape shifted dramatically in recent decades as Republicans embraced both Christian nationalism and an increasingly authoritarian “us vs. them” worldview.

Florida Mother Fears for Her Family as Trial on Transgender Health Care Ban Begins

Brendan Farrington at the Associated Press reports that a trial challenging Florida’s ban on medical treatment for transgender children has begun. Parents of transgender children seek to block the law supported by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, which also restricts access to care for transgender adults, and creates additional barriers for transgender individuals to access care. According to the Williams Institute at the University of California, Florida has the second-largest population of transgender adults in the U.S., at an estimated 94,900 people. PRRI research finds that 56% of Americans oppose laws that prevent parents from allowing their child to receive medical care for a gender transition.

Can Psychologists Help Curb Political Radicalization?

At Psychology Today, Steven Hassan, Ph.D., a mental health professional and expert on cults, writes that mental health resilience is paramount as the 2024 election approaches. To navigate a media landscape inundated with politically radicalizing information, Hassan’s recommended techniques include encouraging clients to take breaks from online content so critical thinking can occur and addressing emotional regulation. With an increasing percentage of Americans saying they support political violence in PRRI’s 2023 American Values Survey, Hassan urges mental health workers to play a role in recognizing and mitigating the impact of radicalization on individuals and society.

What’s Buzzing?

Learn more about PRRI’s report: “More Acceptance but Growing Polarization on LGBTQ Rights: Findings From the 2022 American Values Atlas,” here.