New survey shows 82 percent of LGBT Americans fear Trump/Pence administration

In a survey conducted by the global LGBT consulting body Out Now – http://OutNow.LGBT – Mike Pence, the US Vice-President from January 20, 2017 was mentioned almost as often as Donald Trump in respondents’ remarks. Pence was earlier this month heckled and lectured to from the stage by the cast of the New York stage show ‘Hamilton’.

The most common words self-written into the survey by respondents were: “hateful”, “fear”, “anti-LGBT”, “less safe”, “discriminate”, “homophobia/homophobic.” Many respondents cited personal experiences of anti-LGBT incidents having risen since the November 8 election of Trump and Pence.

Key findings from the study reveal:

Out Now CEO Ian Johnson said: “While the scale of worry about rising homophobia and discrimination is no great surprise, what this study does reveal is the extent to which LGBT Americans are concerned by the election of Donald Trump and especially his Vice-Presidential running mate, Mike Pence. We saw recently in the decision by the Kellogg’s brand to cease advertising on a hard-right website, that companies do have a choice about the values their brands stand for and the environment their workplaces provide. LGBT people are looking to corporate America to play its role in defending the human rights of LGBT people over the coming four years.”

One respondent’s remark in the study was typical of many others who took part in the study:

“While it is hard to see how they can implement policy that attacks the rights and freedoms of LGBT people, it is likely that people will feel more emboldened to act upon their prejudices, particularly given Mike Pence’s past. The election of both Trump and Pence, but the latter in particular, is likely to be seen as an endorsement by certain groups to end what they perceive as nothing more than political correctness and it is likely that they will act, one way or another, on their homophobia. Be it violent attacks or small, insidious acts, I can’t see how being LGBT in the “flyover states” is going to be great in the coming years.”

Some respondents singled out Mike Pence as of particular concern. Pence was reported in 2000 to favour funding organizations that work to “change gay sexual behavior” which many interpret as supporting so-called ‘conversion-therapy’ – a practice medical professionals now generally refute as cruel and ineffective.

Some respondents felt that “Trump is not anti-LGBT” however this view was held by a relatively small number of respondents.

And one commented: “I believe particularly Mike Pence will normalize homo/trans/biphobic attitudes throughout the United States, and this will have a flow-on effect in the world. Trump will do so indirectly, as he has shown little to no interest in standing up for any of us, and seems eager to put things back to the States (such as trans bathroom laws).”

Trump meanwhile has announced Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary. DeVos has been a major funder of anti-LGBT crusades.

Background Notes

Analysis across age groups, sexual orientations (14% of respondents identified as heterosexual) and gender showed surprising uniformity of views that the Trump/Pence administration is unlikely to represent a positive development for the advancement of LGBT rights in America.

Sample size is 876 respondents. Sample period was from November 15th – 24th, 2016.

The survey was sent to more than 5,500 LGBT people and LGBT Allies in the USA by direct email and shared widely through LGBT networks online and via social channels.

The sample is drawn from the world’s largest LGBT research panel LGBT2030, comprised of more than 120,000 LGBT people and LGBT Allies globally.