Another Survey, This Time It Is Global

A survey of 23 countries for transgender rights was just released by the Williams Institute, this is what a conservative news outlet had as its headlines…

“Poll: Transgender Goal Supported by Only 22.7 Percent of Americans”

What does the headline sound like? Then we have this Christian headline said,

“23-Nation Survey on Transgenderism Finds Less Than Half of Americans Think It's 'Natural'”

Well here is what the poll really found according to Pink News…

Less than half of American respondents said they believe being transgender is a ‘natural occurrence’.
On the subject matter, ‘Belief that Transgender People are a Natural Occurrence by Country’, the poll’s results suggested many are yet to sign up to trans rights.

20.1% said they strongly agree with the statement, while 24.1% somewhat agreed.

However 21.3% strongly disagreed and 16.6% somewhat disagreed.

17.9% answered ‘don’t know’ when asked if being transgender was a natural occurrence.

So 44.2% agree, 37.9% disagree, and 17.9% don’t know, in other words the majority of the respondents say being transgender is a ‘natural occurrence.’

The poll also finds that,

In all 23 counties, majorities of survey respondents supported important transgender rights:

• Majorities in all 23 countries believe that transgender people deserve the right to change their identity documents to be consistent with their gender identity, though a substantial portion believes that some form of regulation from medical professionals, medical interventions, and/or government is necessary.
• Majorities in 21 countries support policies banning discrimination against transgender people.
• Majorities in 16 countries support rights to marry for transgender people.
• Majorities in 14 countries support adoption rights for transgender people.
• Majorities in 15 countries support allowing access to public restrooms consistent with a transgender person’s gender identity.

So the first headline really distorted the findings of the poll and that headline was from Breitbart News, the organization that president-elect Trump pick his Chief of Staff from. The other headline came from the Christian News.

Another find of the survey is something that we all know,

The strongest predictor of approval of transgender rights is whether people report having friends or family members who are transgender. About 10% of the respondents report having transgender friends or family members, and support for transgender rights is about 24.6% greater for these respondents than among those who do not have such friends or family members.

What Harvey Milk says is still true today,

Gay brothers and sisters,...You must come out. Come out... to your parents... I know that it is hard and will hurt them but think about how they will hurt you in the voting booth! Come out to your relatives... come out to your friends... if indeed they are your friends. Come out to your neighbors... to your fellow workers... to the people who work where you eat and shop... come out only to the people you know, and who know you. Not to anyone else. But once and for all, break down the myths, destroy the lies and distortions. For your sake. For their sake. For the sake of the youngsters who are becoming scared by the votes from Dade to Eugene.

So we have our work cut out for us, we must come out! But I will add, only if it is safe to do so.