I Don’t Like Polls On Human Rights

I don’t think human rights should be a popularity contest; it should not be subject to referendums, but having said that this poll shows the support for us.

Poll: 6-in-10 oppose bills like the North Carolina transgender bathroom law
CNN
By Jennifer Agiesta, CNN Polling Director
May 9, 2016

Washington (CNN)Americans broadly oppose laws that would require transgender people to use facilities that correspond with their gender at birth rather than their gender identity, according to a new CNN/ORC Poll, and three-quarters favor laws guaranteeing equal protection for transgender individuals.

Overall, 57% say they oppose laws requiring transgender individuals to use facilities that do not match their gender identity, 38% support such laws. Strong opposition (39%) outweighs strong support for these laws (25%). There's a partisan gap on the question, with Democrats and independents more apt to oppose them than Republicans.

But Republicans aren't broadly in favor of them either. The poll finds Republicans about evenly split on laws like this, with 48% in favor and 48% opposed. Republicans are divided by ideology, with moderate and liberal Republicans tilting against the laws and conservative Republicans breaking in favor. That mirrors a pattern found in surveys on support for legal gay marriage, with moderate or liberal Republicans generally more in favor of gay couples' right to marry than conservative Republicans.

It is great that we have this support but I don’t see this support translating into changing Republican legislators minds or voting on the Equality Act in Congress.