Democrats Need to Be Stronger Advocates for Trans and Queer People

By Erin Thomas, Grace Adcox, Lew Blank, and Isa Alomran

Transgender and queer people in America are facing the largest assault on LGBTQ+ rights in recent history. More than 430 bills aimed at reducing the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans are currently in state legislatures.

Recent polling from Data for Progress shows that voters see this legislation as excessive, political theater. Americans are skeptical about the idea that trans people are a threat to children and families, a core belief held by a minority of individuals making the most noise about transgender issues. Additionally, likely Democratic voters want politicians to do more to address the deluge of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and will support politicians who do so. However, Americans are still largely misinformed about transgender people and have a skewed understanding of how prevalent transgender people are in America. This matters. Our polling finds that knowing a trans person or having experienced queer culture drastically increases voters’ support for queer and trans rights.

Based on our findings, we believe that the Democratic Party should be doing more to advocate for queer and trans people. Political leaders should not hesitate to call out Republicans on their manipulative political tactics. Furthermore, they should use their platform to make the country more aware of queer people and queer issues.

Likely Voters View the Quantity of Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation as Excessive, Political Theater

Likely voters across all political parties see the Republican attempt to flood state legislatures with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation as political theater. Our polling indicates that 72 percent of Democrats, 65 percent of Independents, and 55 percent of Republicans think that there is “too much legislation” aimed at limiting the rights of transgender and gay people in America.

A Bar Chart from Data For Progress. Link to Alt Text at Bottom of Page

Americans Don’t Buy the Conservative Narrative on Trans People

According to our polling, likely voters view transgender identities as a natural phenomenon and believe that free societies should allow individuals to express themselves and alter their bodies as they choose. Specifically, 57 percent of likely voters believe that transgender identities occur naturally when free societies permit individuals to identify outside of societal norms, whereas only 33 percent view transgender identities as a "woke" invention.

Furthermore, 69 percent of likely voters believe that transgender adults should have the freedom to change their bodies as desired.

Likely Democratic Voters Want the Democratic Party to Do More to Protect Trans and Queer People

Our polling suggests that Democrats can energize their base by taking a strong stance against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Specifically, 56 percent of likely Democratic voters believe that the Democratic Party should be doing more to safeguard the rights of transgender and queer Americans from such legislation.

Additionally, 51 percent of likely Democratic voters indicate that they would be more inclined to support politicians, such as Nebraska State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh, who filibuster this legislation.

Most Americans Don’t Know Much About Trans People or Queer Culture

Although trans people receive significant attention in national media, our polling indicates that many Americans are unfamiliar with transgender people and remain misinformed about them. Specifically, our polling reveals that only 33 percent of respondents know a person who identifies as transgender or nonbinary.

Likely voters also overestimate the prevalence of transgender individuals in America. Our poll finds that respondents estimate that 21 percent of Americans identify as transgender or nonbinary (a recent YouGov survey shares this finding), and that 25 percent of young people (ages 30 and under) identify as such. In contrast, recent research suggests that only 1.6 percent of Americans identify as transgender or nonbinary, and 5 percent of young people fall into this category. Rates of regret for those who medically transition are generally low, with most studies showing regret rates of 1-2 percent and none reporting rates higher than 8 percent.

A Table from Data For Progress. Link to Alt Text at Bottom of Page

Our polling also reveals that only 24 percent of likely voters have witnessed a live drag performance.

When Americans Know Trans and Queer People, They Support Trans and Queer People

Our poll indicates that familiarity with trans and nonbinary individuals significantly impacts voters’ perceptions of them. Among those who do not know a trans or nonbinary person, 45 percent view them as a threat to children and 32 percent see them as a threat to heterosexual families. However, among those who do know a trans or nonbinary person, these figures drop to 27 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

A previous poll from February 2022 confirms this theory. We found that 69 percent of voters who know a trans person believe that increased visibility and rights for transgender individuals have improved society, compared with only 36 percent of voters who do not know a trans person. In addition, 68 percent of voters who know a trans person believe that the government should protect transgender rights even if it means challenging traditional family structures and social norms, compared with only 40 percent of voters who do not know a trans person.

A Split Chart from Data For Progress. Link to Alt Text at Bottom of Page

A similar set of questions on drag bans reflects this finding. We find that 64 percent of people who have seen a drag show in person are against any form of drag ban, whereas only 17 percent of people who haven’t seen a drag show share that view.

Similarly, 72 percent of people who have seen a drag show in person do not think drag should be classified as “sexually oriented business,” compared with only 27 percent of people who have not seen drag.

Conclusion

Our polling reveals that Republican politicians advocating for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation are out of step with the American electorate. Likely voters oppose this legislation and are willing to support Democratic politicians who directly fight it.

However, despite the progress made in trans rights and increased visibility of trans people in American society, many Americans remain uninformed about transgender people. Anti-trans activists exploit this lack of awareness to push discriminatory legislation. Our polling highlights that knowing trans people and experiencing queer culture significantly improves likely voters' support for trans and queer rights. Increasing public awareness and understanding of transgender and queer people shouldn’t solely be the responsibility of trans people. The Democratic Party should also play an active role in this effort, using its platform to demonstrate to Americans who have never met a trans person that trans people are just as human as they are.

Erin Thomas (@erin_c_thomas) is a senior software engineer at Data for Progress.

Grace Adcox (@GraceAdcox) is a polling analyst at Data for Progress.

Lew Blank (@LewBlank) is a polling analyst at Data for Progress.

Isa Alomran is Lead Polling Analyst at Data for Progress.

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Erin ThomasMarch 31, 2023LGBTQ, Justice, Insights