Support for LGBTQ+ Protections Is Tied to Politics More Than Population

For The Washington Post, Philip Bump looks at data from PRRI’slatest survey finding that, although LGBTQ Americans are much more likely to be Democrats than Republicans, the size of a state’s LGBTQ population does not influence the state’s support for legal protections for LGBTQ Americans. However, a correlation can be seen between support for legal protections and the state’s 2020 election vote margin; states that voted more heavily for Biden are more supportive of protections than states that voted for Trump. PRRI finds that a majority of Americans support laws protecting LGBTQ Americans from discrimination, including 89% of Democrats, 78% of independents, and 59% of Republicans.

Support for LGBTQ Rights Dropped in 2023, Including Among Younger Adults

Matt Lavietes at NBC News examines which demographic groups influenced the overall decline in support for LGBTQ rights in PRRI’s new survey findings. Though a larger share of adults ages 18-29 (71%) support same-sex marriage than seniors (61%), young adults’ support for same-sex marriage declined the most of any age group, from 74% in 2022 to 71% last year. PRRI’s CEO, Melissa Deckman, Ph.D., said of the younger cohort: “There’s been an emphasis on this idea that LGBTQ rights have gone too far in America — they’re hearing that in churches that are conservative, they’re seeing on social media that’s conservative, on far-right news sources that are conservative. And that message is resonating.”

Poll Shows U.S. Support for LGBTQ Protections Falling for First Time Since 2015

Lauren Gambino at The Guardian reports on PRRI’s latest surveywhich finds a notable decline in support for LGBTQ rights as a result of increasing party polarization after years of rising public support. Between 2022 and 2023, Republican support for nondiscrimination protections dropped significantly from two in three Republicans to roughly six in ten, while remaining steady among Democrats. PRRI’s report also found a strong correlation between holding Christian nationalist beliefs and opposing LGBTQ rights: Among those who qualify as Christian nationalism Adherents, 52% oppose nondiscrimination laws compared with 93% of Christian nationalism Rejecters who support such laws.

Support for Same-Sex Marriage Dips for the First Time in Nearly a Decade

Reporting for The Hill, Tara Suterwrites that PRRI’s latest survey finds a decline in support for LGBTQ rights across the country, including support for LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections, which fell for the first time since 2018. PRRI’s CEO, Melissa Deckman, Ph.D., said the data reflects “the effect of the continuous use of LGBTQ identity and LGBTQ rights as a wedge issue in our nation’s culture wars.” So far, state legislatures have introducedmore than 200 bills targeting LGBTQ rights in their 2024 sessions and a new Washington Post analysis of federal data shows a sharp rise in anti-LGBTQ school hate crimes, particularly in states that have passed laws restricting LGBTQ student rights or education.