Equality Texas Interim Executive Director Samantha Smoot speaks during a press conference on the steps of the Texas Capitol in March. David Taffet/Dallas Voice)
After a push to limit transgender access to bathroom facilities in public places a couple of years ago backfired, a majority of Americans now favor transgender rights. Public Religion Research Institute released a new poll showing majority support for protecting trans men and women from discrimination.
Six in 10 people say they’ve become more supportive of transgender rights than they were five years ago, while 25 percent said they are more opposed than they were five years ago.
About 76 percent of Democrats and 64 percent of independents are more supportive of transgender rights than they were five years ago compared to only 47 percent of Republicans. Conservative Republicans are the only group with less than half reporting increased support.
“This poll shows that as Texans and Americans learn the stories of their fellow transgender citizens, the overwhelming majority want to make sure that every person in our state and in this country is treated with dignity and respect,” said Equality Texas Interim Executive Director Samantha Smoot.
“We will continue our fight to achieve full equality for transgender Texans and to do everything we can to educate fellow Texans, including elected officials, to ensure no one faces discrimination for being who they are in our state,” said Lou Weaver, transgender programs coordinator for Equality Texas.
— David Taffet
