Around 6 in 10 U.S. adults in a say prejudice against LGBTQ people in the country is a serious problem today, according to a survey released Wednesday.
The Quinnipiac University survey found that 33 percent say the prejudice is a “very” serious problem, and another 25 percent say it’s “somewhat” serious.
Eighteen percent of Americans say prejudice against LGBTQ people is “not at all” a problem, and 20 percent say it’s “not so serious” an issue.
At least 491 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced this year alone in state legislatures across the country, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
Florida’s so-called Don’t Say Gay law looks to restrict talk of sexual orientation and gender identity in public school classrooms, while other states, such as Michigan, have moved to shore up LGBTQ protections.
Roughly a third of Americans in the poll said they think LGBTQ people in the U.S. face more discrimination today compared to a year ago — though around a quarter think they face less discrimination. Another 35 percent report thinking the demographic faces the same amount of discrimination as a year ago.
“By large margins, Americans think prejudice against a segment of the population, those identifying as LGBTQ+, is serious. Roughly one-third think it’s metastasizing,” said Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy in the report.
Conducted June 8-12, the poll surveyed 1,929 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.
