Majority of Republicans think loving parents of trans kids should be investigated for child abuse

 

 

The horrific revelation came from a survey of 10,188 Americans, conducted by the Pew Research Center, on their views on gender identity and trans issues in the US.

More than half (59 per cent) of the 4,841 Republican and Republican-leaning respondents said they would be in favour of parents being investigated for child abuse if they helped someone under the age of 8 access gender-affirming medical care.

Only 17 per cent of the 5,092 Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents admitted they were in favour of similar anti-trans measures. 

Sadly, seven in 10 Republicans (72 per cent) wanted to make it illegal for healthcare professionals in the US to provide trans, non-binary and gender diverse youth with gender affirming care. More than a quarter (26 per cent) of Democrats said they approved of such trans healthcare bans.

The survey results come as conservative lawmakers across the US are increasingly taking aim at the LGBTQ+ community, especially the trans community. 

Texas led the charge in anti-trans measures after governor Greg Abbott ordered state officials in February to investigate parents and doctors for ‘child abuse’ if they help minors access gender-affirming medical care. 

The order was met with immense backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates and celebrities. It also resulted in a fierce legal battle with the state’s Supreme Court ruling in May that Abbott doesn’t have the authority to order such investigations. 

The same ruling was ultimately double-edged sword as it also struck down a statewide injunction barring child abuse investigations for Texas families that provide gender-affirming care to their kids. 

There have been reports the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has resumed investigating families at the detriment of trans youth in the state. 

Arkansas, Tennessee and Arizona passed legislation restricting gender-affirming care for trans youth. Alabama also became the first state in the US to impose felony criminal penalties for such care.

The Pew Research Center survey also found 85 per cent of Republicans and 37 per cent of Democrats favoured trans sports bans, which have passed into law in 18 states across the US.

More than half (57 per cent) of respondents said there is a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of discrimination against trans people in American society today. An additional 21 per cent felt there is “some” discrimination while 14 per cent believed trans people in the US face no or little discrimination.

This is despite 2021 being the deadliest year on record for the trans community in the US as the “epidemic of violence” continues into 2022. At least 19 trans, non-binary or gender diverse people have died by violent means thus far this year – with the real toll unknown as such deadly incidents often go underreported or misreported.

 

A significant majority of the LGBTQ+ community in the US feels that discrimination has increased, according to GLAAD’s 2022 Accelerating Acceptance study.

GLAAD found 70 per cent of LGBTQ+ Americans surveyed said discrimination toward the queer community has increased in the last two years. This is compared to just 59 per cent who said the same in 2021 and 46 per cent the year before.

The LGBTQ+ media monitoring organisation ran two online studies for their report with one report in February collective responses from 2,536 adults while the other included responses from 1,705 LGBTQ+ adults gathered between April and May 2022.

More than half (54 per cent) of trans and non-binary people felt unsafe walking in their neighbourhoods, compared to 36 per cent of all LGBTQ+ adults. 

The LGBTQ+ media monitoring organisation ran two online studies for their report with one report in February collective responses from 2,536 adults while the other included responses from 1,705 LGBTQ+ adults gathered between April and May 2022.

Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO and president of GLAAD, told USA Today the increase is unsurprising given the uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation seen across the US. 

“You’re seeing a culture that’s being created that is incredibly unsafe for our community,” Ellis said. 

Ellis called on the community to continue to “fight back” as there is a “power” in the LGBTQ+ community’s “numbers and in coming together”.