In the midst of a new influx of bills attempting to limit or ban LGBTQ lessons, access to resources, and queer-inclusive education in schools, more than 60 percent of Americans are opposed to state laws that aim to prohibit teaching LGBTQ lessons in elementary schools, according to a new poll conducted by ABC News.
The poll was conducted by Ipsos, in partnership with ABC News, and found that 62 percent of Americans oppose legislation banning lessons on sexual orientation or gender identity in elementary school, while 37 percent support it. The poll also found that republicans are more likely to support this legislation, with 61 percent of republicans in support compared to 20 percent of democrats and 35 percent of independents.
The support for this legislation also increases with age, though for each age group, there are more people who disapprove of this legislation than support it. Among those 65 and older, 43 percent support the ban, but that figure falls to about a third when examining those under the age of 50.
The results of the poll were didn’t significantly differ by education level, with 65 percent of respondents with a college education opposing the legislation, compared to 60 percent of those with a high school education also opposing it.
The poll did take LGBTQ folks into account, who non-surprisingly and overwhelmingly opposed this kind of legislation (87 percent). ABC News notes that the poll oversampled LGBTQ people, with their responses weighted to match their correct proportion with the general population. Of those who are not LGBTQ, still a majority (59 percent) opposed the legislation.
The poll is especially timely given the recent passing of the Parental Rights in Education bill, renamed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by critics. The House bill states that schools are not allowed to encourage classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels. It is set to go into full effect July 1, 2022.
Many LGBTQ community members fear that this will start a new trend of similar education bills aimed at erasing LGBTQ people and access to LGBTQ resources, including SB 1142 out of Oklahoma. This new bill, headed to the Senate and passed by the Oklahoma Senate Education Committee, would ban LGBTQ books and books on LGBTQ-inclusive sex education in schools.
