The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation today (Thursday, Jan. 25) announced the findings of its fourth annual Accelerating Acceptance report — and the news is not good.
The report is a national survey of more than 2,100 adults in the U.S., conducted for GLAAD by The Harris Poll. GLAAD officials announced the results during a panel discussion the organization co-hosted with The Ariadne Getty Foundation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis noted that, for the first time in the report’s history, the survey showed a drop in acceptance of LGBT people.
“In the past year, there has been a swift and alarming erosion of acceptance which can only be fought by being visible and vocal,” Ellis said. “This report puts numbers to the bias that too many LGBTQ Americans have recently experienced.”
According to the survey, conducted online Nov. 16-20, less than half of non-LGBTQ adults — 49 percent — reported being “very” or “somewhat” comfortable with LGBTQ people across seven situations — a significant decline from 53 percent last year.
The survey also found that 55 percent of LGBTQ adults reported experiencing discrimination because of sexual orientation or gender identity an 11-point increase from 44 percent the previous year.
There was a decline in non-LGBTQ adults’ comfortability around LGBTQ people, particularly in more personal situations. Compared to last year’s results, significantly more respondents noted that they would be uncomfortable learning a family member is LBGTQ (30 percent vs. 27 percent), having their child’s teacher be LGBTQ (31 percent vs. 28 percent), and learning their doctor is LGBTQ (31 percent vs. 28 percent).
John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, said the LGBT community has been “an unseen casualty of a tumultuous year.”
He said, “In a single year, we’ve seen significant declines from what had been an increasingly accepting America to one now less supportive. And this lost ground of acceptance cuts across many in American society.”
See the full Accelerating Acceptance report here.
Ellis said GLAAD is “fighting the rollback” by enlisting the help of philanthropic leaders, like the Ariadne Getty Foundation and “global changemakers attending the World Economic Forum,” encouraging them to “use their platforms and move our community forward.”
GLAAD also used the occasion to announce a $15 million lead gift from the  to fund part of the GLAAD Media Institute’s launch along with investments in LGBTQ ventures, including media and small businesses, that create social impact worldwide and accelerate acceptance.
Ari Getty, president of the foundation’s board, said, “The time is now for world leaders and all of us to stand by marginalized communities and promote equality and diversity.
“GLAAD has always been the leader in creating a better world for LGBTQ people. This lead gift will not only ensure that work continues, but will hopefully inspire others to join us in our pursuit of 100 percent acceptance,” Getty added. “My family has long stood alongside individuals who are too often left behind as social justice progresses. Now more than ever we must join hands and raise our voices to combat oppression and move forward towards a world of equality, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, geography, or creed.”