Survey: Smaller share of Americans support LGBTQ equality; Gen-Z reports more discrimination

Around 80% of Americans are supportive of equal LGBTQ rights, which is down slightly from 84% one year ago, according to a new report published by GLAAD.

The research, conducted through a sample of 2,511 US adults in January of this year, represents the latest edition of an annual report known as GLAAD’s Accelerating Acceptance Study, which has examined attitudes and comfortability towards LGBTQ individuals since 2015. 

The research still indicated that Americans are broadly supportive of LGBTQ rights: 95% of non-LGBTQ Americans agree that children should be safe and accepted at schools and 93% overall believe youth should be taught to appreciate and accept people in their respective identities.

But the last year has also led to some notable shifts. Seventy percent of Gen-Z adults reported discrimination on the basis of gender identity, up from 57% last year, while 54% of Gen-Z adults reported discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation — also up from 49% last year. However, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers all reported reductions in discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The research also yielded notable takeaways about the influence of media — which is particularly relevant to GLAAD since the organization’s mission says it fights for fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of LGBTQ individuals and aims to shape the narrative around LGBTQ issues.

Non-LGBTQ respondents say they are seeing less LGBTQ representation in media, with 57% saying they have been exposed to ads with LGBTQ representation (down from 67% in 2023) and 72% saying they have been exposed to LGBTQ representation in TV and film (down 76% in 2023). In an example of the power of media, exposure to LGBTQ people in media can lead to a 50% increase in familiarity of LGBTQ people among non-LGBTQ people.

LGBTQ individuals — especially Gen-Z — are, unsurprisingly, disproportionately impacted by anti-LGBTQ legislation. When asked whether anti-LGBTQ bills and legislation at the state level will bring more discrimination and violence against LGBTQ people, 85% of Gen-Z LGBTQ adults said yes (up from 67% last year) compared to 72% of LGBTQ people overall (up from 56% last year) and 62% of non-LGBTQ people.

Gen-Z LGBTQ individuals also report more disproportionate mental health impacts as a result of the current political discourse. When asked how the current state of politics causes negative effects to mental health and emotional well-being, 84% of Gen-Z LGBTQ adults said yes — up by 16% from a year ago — compared to 72% among LGBTQ adults overall. Gen-Z adults also reported much more fear for their or their family’s safety as a result of the current political discourse than the overall LGBTQ population.