Likely reflecting recent attacks on transgender people, a survey of 3,959 LGBTQ adults by the Pew Research Center found that most see more acceptance of gay and lesbian people since the US Supreme Court required states to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples in 2015, but fewer think that transgender and non-binary people have experienced that acceptance.
“We wanted to explore how LGBTQ adults see the impact of the Obergefell decision on social acceptance for same-sex couples, as well as how they view social acceptance for LGBTQ people more broadly,” said Rachel Minkin, a research associate at the center, in a statement. “We find that two-thirds of LGBTQ adults say the Supreme Court decision made people more accepting of same-sex couples. At the same time, LGBTQ Americans see more acceptance for people who are gay, lesbian, and bisexual than those who are non-binary or transgender.”
The survey, which was conducted in English and Spanish over 12 days in January in phone interviews and online, found that 61% of gay and lesbian people believed there was a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of social acceptance for them, with 37% saying there was “some” or “not much/none at all.” Fifty-two percent of bisexuals reported that there was a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of social acceptance for them, with 45% saying there was “some” or “not much/none at all.”
The numbers for non-binary and transgender people were much lower. Just 14% of non-binary people said there was a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of social acceptance for them and 13% of transgender people said that was true for them as well. Seventy-eight percent of non-binary people said there was “some” or “not much/none at all” social acceptance for them and 83% of transgender people said that there was “some” or “not much/none at all” social acceptance for them. A small number of participants in all four categories were not sure how to answer so the totals do not equal 100%.
Among all respondents, “82% [of gay or lesbian respondents] say there’s a lot or somewhat more acceptance today than 10 years ago,” the survey said. Seventy-six percent of bisexual respondents shared that view, as did 66% of transgender respondents and 64% of nonbinary respondents.
Recent attacks on non-binary and transgender Americans explain their views. They have endured Trump administration executive orders banning transgender people from the military, limiting sexes to male and female in passports and other federal government documents, and preventing federal funds from being spent on healthcare for transgender people who are 19 or younger.
To date, 27 states ban healthcare for transgender youth, 28 states ban transgender youth from participating in school sports by law or by a regulation; 22 states limit LGBTQ content in schools or ban it entirely or have parental notification laws that allow parents to keep such content from their children; and 15 states require school staff to report transgender students to their parents, according to the Movement Advancement Project, an organization that provides data and analysis on a range of topics that affect the LGBTQ community.
Despite the improved acceptance for some in the LGBTQ community, respondents reported experiencing discrimination and fears for their safety, though only 20% of LGBTQ participants said this occurred in the 12 months prior to the survey.
Seventy-three percent of gay and lesbian respondents, 68% of transgender respondents, and 47% of bisexual respondents said they experienced jokes or slurs. Seventy percent of transgender respondents, 52% of gay and lesbian respondents, and 28% of bisexual respondents said they feared for their personal safety. Other complaints included receiving poor service at restaurants, hotels, and other public accommodations; being treated poorly by medical professionals, including doctors and nurses; experiencing discrimination in hiring, compensation, or promotions.
“Transgender adults are the most likely to say they have feared for their personal safety and have been treated poorly by health care professionals,” the report said.
The Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of the Pew Charitable Trusts.
