LGBTQ+ voters are all in for Democrats, while anti-transgender candidates are alienating everyone: GLAAD

Restrictions on transgender rights and women’s rights are losing issues even among swing voters and those who support Donald Trump, according to a new poll conducted by Pathfinder Opinion Research for GLAAD.

Also, not surprisingly, the poll found that LGBTQ+ voters are highly motivated to cast their ballots and that they favor President Joe Biden for president by a wide margin. The findings were released Thursday and are based on a national survey of registered voters conducted in late January, plus interviews focusing on LGBTQ+ voters.

“A majority of all voters say they would oppose candidates who frequently speak about restricting access to health care and youth sports participation for transgender youth,” notes a GLAAD press release. “81% say health care decisions for youth should be made by parents. All voter categories surveyed — LGBTQ, registered, Trump voters and swing voters who say they vote for either party — agree that politicians ‘should stop focusing on restricting women's rights and banning medical care for transgender youth and instead focus on addressing inflation, job creation, and health care costs.’”

Among LGBTQ+ registered voters, 83 percent said they are definitely voting in November, and 11 percent said they probably are. Nationwide, 68 percent of LGBTQ+ likely voters favored Biden to 15 percent for Trump. The divide was even wider in swing states, with 72 percent for Biden to 15 percent for Trump.

LGBTQ+ likely voters nationwide favored Democratic congressional candidates over Republicans by a margin of 77 percent to 14 percent. In key U.S. Senate races, 79 percent of these voters said they would support Democrats, with only 12 percent favoring Republicans.

LGBTQ+ voters, like voters in general, wanted to see politicians address economic issues; they ranked inflation and job creation as high priorities. Abortion and climate change were priority issues as well.

Motivating factors for LGBTQ+ voters included fears of the country going in a more conservative direction — more right-wing Supreme Court justices, more restrictions on abortion and on the parents of trans children, and renewed attempts to ban same-sex marriage.

Additionally, “LGBTQ voters highlight a significant adverse effect on their emotional well-being and sense of personal safety due to the current political environment,” according to a summary of the findings. “A majority report regularly experiencing (always, frequently, or occasionally) negative impacts on their mental health and emotional well-being (72%), strained personal relationships with friends or family members (60%), and fear for their or their family’s personal safety (57%) due to the current state of political discourse in our country. Nearly half report regularly experiencing real-world harassment or bullying (49%) or online harassment or bullying (46%) related to politics.”

All these factors have LGBTQ+ voters “ready to turn out in November and deliver support for candidates committed to safeguarding their rights, ensuring their safety, and addressing their economic well-being,” the summary concludes.

“GLAAD's research shows that LGBTQ Americans are ready to exert their significant power to shape electoral politics, choose responsible leadership, and use their voices to advocate for equality,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in the press release. “Our new survey also shows that the majority of all voters reject harmful anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and candidates who spread it. Voters are insisting that politicians focus instead on the real issues facing our nation, including inflation, abortion rights, and climate change. Candidates, parties, strategists and reporters are on notice about the power of the LGBTQ vote and the issues that should be demanding attention, including our fundamental freedoms and everyone’s safety and well-being.”