New York, NY, October 1, 2020 - GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer ( LGBTQ ) media advocacy organization, released the findings of GLAAD's 'State of LGBTQ Voters' poll which found former Vice President Joe Biden holding a commanding lead in the race for President over incumbent Donald J. Trump among LGBTQ likely voters. The poll, conducted September 21 - 25 by Pathfinder Opinion Research, found that 76% of likely LGBTQ voters favor Biden over Trump, who received 17%. 5% of LGBTQ likely voters planned to vote for another candidate and 2% remain unsure.
For more details: www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-lgbtq-voters-poll and the memo on results from the polling firm here.
NBC Out first published the news this morning.
Other key findings among LGBTQ respondents in GLAAD's 'State of LGBTQ Voters' poll:
- 88% of respondents report being registered to vote.
- 16% of LGBTQ respondents had a favorable opinion of President Trump, while 75% had an unfavorable opinion.
- 57% of LGBTQ respondents had a favorable opinion of Vice President Biden and 25% had an unfavorable opinion.
- 13% of LGBTQ respondents had a favorable opinion of Vice President Mike Pence. 65% had an unfavorable opinion.
- 50% had somewhat or very favorable opinions of Senator Kamala Harris, with 32% having very favorable views of Sen. Harris.
- 92% of registered LGBTQ voters said they would 'definitely or probably vote in the upcoming Presidential election.
- 81% of likely LGBTQ voters are more motivated to vote in 2020 than in recent elections.
- 53% of LGBTQ respondents reported experiencing anti-LGBTQ discrimination.
"LGBTQ voters are poised to make a deciding difference this election year. Today's poll demonstrates a monumental lead for Vice President Biden in the race for President," said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. "The poll should put to rest the misinformation from unreliable sources about where critical LGBTQ voters stand in this election, misinformation that's unfortunately been repeated in the media."
To check registration, request mail-in ballots, and become involved in GLAAD's get out the vote campaign visit: glaad.org/action .
GLAAD's new research follows a poll released in September, conducted by a dating app for gay men and tweeted by President Trump, which alleged that over 40% of gay men using the app planned to vote for President Trump. The poll, however, is not scientific as it allowed participants to self-select and did not include measures to ensure representative samples of the LGBTQ community.
Among registered gay male voters in GLAAD and Pathfinder Opinion Research, Biden VP Biden leads President Trump 79% to 17%.
Earlier this week, Eric Trump appeared on Fox & Friends and claimed "The LGBT community, they are incredible. And you should see how they come out in full force for my father every single day." Eric was responding to an opinion piece in the New York Times Monday about a lesbian who plans to vote for Trump but wanted to remain anonymous. Previously, in August, President Trump tweeted a LGBTQ campaign video made by former Acting Director of National Intelligence, Ric Grenell, a Trump appointee who asserted that Trump is "the strongest ally that gay Americans have ever had in the White House." The Washington Post's Fact Checker thoroughly debunked the video, claiming the claims were "absurd" and "whoppers."
"In contradiction to unscientific polling released by another entity, this survey clearly shows Biden holding a substantial lead among LGBTQ voters of all sexual orientations and gender identities, including those who identify as gay men," Pathfinder Research wrote in its memo to GLAAD. To read the full Pathfinder Research memo, click here.
2018 exit poll data estimated 6% of the electorate was LGBTQ, and according to Williams' Institute data released in November 2019, one in five LGBTQ Americans was not registered to vote. GLAAD's work this election year is focused on closing the registration gap and improving participation numbers, and today's poll results indicate an increase in LGBTQ voter registration.
"We're seeing a surge in LGBTQ voter registration, because our community understands how much is at stake in this election. We cannot sit this one out — our very lives are on the line," said Ellis.
GLAAD's Trump Accountability Project ( www.glaad.org/tap/donald-trump ) has tracked more than 175 attacks in policy and rhetoric against LGBTQ people, including fighting all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to deny protections against discrimination at work. The Trump Administration has also fought against LGBTQ people looking to become parents, a case ( https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/19/19-123/144731/20200603122848940_2020.6.3%20—%20Fulton%20—%20brief%20of%2076%20U.S.%20Senators%20and%20Members%20of%20Congress.pdf ) the Court will hear on November 4th. It has systematically deployed multiple federal departments ( www.nytimes.com/2019/12/06/us/politics/trump-transgender-rights.html ) to roll back protections for LGBTQ people seeking health care, education and a safe place to sleep. President Trump has kept his ban on transgender military service in effect, even after the Supreme Court ruled to expand job protections for transgender people, a ruling ( www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/17-1618_hfci.pdf ) the administration is reportedly refusing to enforce ( www.washingtonblade.com/2020/09/16/how-the-trump-administration-is-getting-around-bostock-to-allow-anti-trans-discrimination/ ).
METHODOLOGY: GLAAD's 'State of LGBTQ Voters' poll
GLAAD's findings represent the results of a survey conducted by Pathfinder Opinion Research from September 21-25, 2020 among 800 LGBTQ adults in the United States. Interviews were conducted online utilizing a national research panel. Respondents were selected to represent the national LGBT population based on demographic estimates published by the Williams Institute and weighted by gender, age, race, education, and geographic region based on Williams Institute data. Within this sample of LGBTQ adults is a subset of registered voters ( n=701 ) and registered voters who are likely to vote in the upcoming Presidential election ( n=649 ). For this survey, the overall credibility interval ( a theoretical margin of error for non-probability samples ) is 3.5%.
