By Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen | Donor Coordinator
With 37 states having legal marriage for same-sex couples, the Supreme Court may be on the verge of recognizing a constitutional right to marriage equality nationwide. But beneath this progress lies a layer of uneasiness and discomfort.
So, in late 2014, GLAAD commissioned Harris Poll to measure attitudes toward LGBT Americans. The surveys were conducted in August and November, 2014 among over 2,000 U.S. adults (aged 18+) each – of whom over 1,700 per survey indicated being straight, cisgender (referred to here as “non-LGBT Americans”).
“Closing the gap to full acceptance of LGBT people will not come from legislation or judicial decisions alone, but from a deeper understanding and empathy from Americans themselves,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, the CEO and President of GLAAD. GLAAD gave New York Times op-ed columnist Frank Bruni a first look at the results, which were published in his piece "Do Gays Unsettle You?" in the paper's Sunday Review section.
The poll discovered that a third of non-LGBT Americans say that just seeing a same-sex couple holding hands makes them uncomfortable. Futhermore, 32% report being uncomfortable with an LGBT family member. This sheds light on just how much work is ahead to move from bullying, harrassment, and rejection, to respect, inclusion, and full acceptance.
You can read the report, including many more important findings, here.
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