Personally Knowing a Transgender Person Correlates With Increased Sympathy for Transgender People and Support for LGBTQ+ Issues
By Rob Todaro
In 2023, more than 80 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been passed into law, most of which specifically target transgender and nonbinary people. Previous Data for Progress polling found that a majority of transgender adults report a low sense of belonging in U.S. society (59%) and have moved or considered moving as a result of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in their state (51%).
As the 2024 presidential race heats up, Republican candidates have continued to campaign on a slate of anti-LGBTQ+ policies, including a federal ban on gender-affirming medical care. Meanwhile, President Biden has maintained public support for the transgender community, and Delaware state Senator Sarah McBride, who has close ties to the Biden family, is running to become the first openly transgender member of Congress.
New Data for Progress polling underscores the positive correlation between someone personally knowing an LGBTQ+ person, especially a transgender person, and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Fewer than 1 in 3 likely voters (30%) personally know someone who is transgender, and around 1 in 5 (21%) know someone who is nonbinary. In comparison, more than 3 in 5 voters personally know someone who is gay (69%) or lesbian (62%). Forty-three percent of voters personally know someone who is bisexual, while 49% say they do not.
Voters who say they personally know a transgender person report nearly double the rate (68%) of sympathy for transgender people compared with those who do not know a transgender person (35%). This trend is especially apparent among Independent voters: 75% of Independents who personally know a transgender person say they are sympathetic to transgender people, compared with only 32% of Independents who do not know a transgender person.
A majority of voters (57%) agree that “we need new laws to protect LGBTQ+ Americans from discrimination and violence,” and a plurality of voters (48%) agree that “the political climate has become increasingly hostile to LGBTQ+ Americans.”
We find that LGBTQ+ issue statements like these particularly divide voters along partisan lines and LGBTQ+ identity status. For example, when presented with this statement — the federal government should do more to expand LGBTQ+ rights — voters are split evenly, 45% agree and 45% disagree. However, LGBTQ+ voters agree (84%) with that statement at double the rate of cisgender, straight voters (41%). And Democrats agree (73%) with that statement at more than four times the rate of Republicans (18%).
Lastly, recent school mandates requiring parental notification if a child identifies as LGBTQ+ are an issue that continues to divide voters. A slight plurality of voters (46%), including a majority of Democrats (59%) and a plurality of Independents (47%), oppose requiring teachers to inform parents that their child came out to them as LGBTQ+ at school, regardless of whether that student wants to or is ready to tell their parent. Seventy-four percent of LGBTQ+ voters oppose this policy, while cisgender, straight voters are more divided, with 46% in support and 44% in opposition. Once again, we find that voters who know a transgender person report a higher rate of opposition to this policy (58%) compared with those who do not know a transgender person (41%).
Across the board, voters who know a transgender person report greater sympathy for transgender people and agreement with pro-LGBTQ+ causes compared with voters who do not know a transgender person. These disparities are particularly pronounced among Independents and Democrats, emphasizing the importance of transgender visibility and personal relationships in influencing public opinion.
Rob Todaro (@robtodaro) is the Communications Director at Data for Progress.
Survey Methodology
From September 29 to October 1, 2023, Data for Progress conducted a survey of 1,229 likely voters nationally using web panel respondents. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, geography, and voting history. The survey was conducted in English. The margin of error is ±3 percentage points.