CENTER FOR
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FOR !"#$%$&'#
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Na#onalsurveyshowspublicsupportsrights,protec#onsfortransgenderpeople
FORIMMEDIATERELEASE-November24,2015
Formoreinforma+onortodiscusstheresults,contact:PeterBothum,
OfficeofCommunica+onsandPublicAffairs(302)831-1418.
Fromdomes+cpoli+csandtheSyrianrefugeecrisistoterrorismandtheIslamicState,thereismore
thanenoughpoli+calfoddertogoaroundthedinnertablethisyear.
AndanewstudyfromtheUniversityofDelaware’sCenterforPoli+calCommunica+onsuggestsa
genera+onalblowupovertransgenderrightscouldbeonthemenu.
Inthestudy,alargemajorityofpeoplesurveyedsaidtheyfavorprotec+onfromdiscrimina+onfor
transgenderindividualsbothinschools(71percent)andinworkplaces(70percent),andalargemajority
alsosupportsallowingtransgenderpeopletoserveopenlyintheU.S.military(62percent).
University of Delaware | Elliott Hall | 26 East Main Street | Newark, DE 19716 | www.udel.edu/epicenter
TheUDsurveyrevealsthepublicismoredividedonrequiringpublicbuildings,suchascourthouses,to
havegenderneutralrestrooms.OnlyaslimmajorityofAmericansfavorthis,byamarginof51percent
to43percent.
CENTER FOR POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
page2
University of Delaware
Na+onalsurveyonrights,protec+onsfortransgenderpeople
Thesplitonthisissuehasplayedoutacrossthena+oninrecentweeks.Lastweek,theHoustonEqual
RightsOrdinancewasrepealedthanksinlargeparttoacampaignbyaChris+anadvocacygroupthat
focusedonthethreatof“meninwomen’sbathrooms.”And,inWisconsin,Republicanspushedto
prohibittransgenderpublicschoolstudentsfromusingabathroomorlockerroomassignedtothe
genderwithwhichtheyiden+fied.
Lookingmorecloselyattheresults,PaulBrewer,DirectoroftheCenterforPoli+calCommunica+on,said
cleardivisionsontheseissuesemergebasedonage,genderandpoli+calparty.
“ComparedtoRepublicans,Democratsaremorefavorabletowardtransgenderrights–adividethatthe
2016poli+calcampaigncouldhighlight,”Brewersaid.
Thesharpestpoli+caldivisionsemergedontheissuesofrequiringgenderneutralrestroomsand
transgenderpeopleservinginthemilitary.NearlythreeoutoffourDemocratssurveyed(74percent)
saidtransgenderpeopleshouldbeabletoserveinthemilitary,whileonly43percentofRepublicans
supportedthatidea.Meanwhile,Democratsbackedtheideaofrequiringgender-neutralbathroomsin
publicplacesbyatwo-to-onemarginoverRepublicans(66percent-34percent).
CENTER FOR POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
page3
University of Delaware
Na+onalsurveyonrights,protec+onsfortransgenderpeople
TheCPCstudyalsorevealedagenera+ongapontransgenderrights.Respondentsbetweentheagesof
18-34overwhelminglysupporttransgenderprotec+oninschools(83percent),protec+onagainstjob
discrimina+on(77percent)andarighttoserveinthemilitary(72percent),andaclearmajorityofyoung
people(59percent)saidgender-neutralrestroomsshouldberequired.
People55andoldershowedfarlesssupportfortransgenderrightsandprotec+ons,althoughamajority
ofolderrespondentsdidfavorprotec+ngtransgenderstudents(60percent)andworkers(56percent).
AmongolderAmericans,theissueofgenderneutralpublicbathroomsmightbeatopictoavoidatthe
holidaydinnertable.Only43percentofrespondentsover55favorrequiringgender-neutralrestrooms.
Women,morethanmen,supporttransgenderprotec+onsandrights,accordingtothestudy.Fourofthe
901respondentsself-iden+fiedastransgender.
Thetelephonesurveyof901U.S.adultswasconductedbytheUniversityofDelaware’sCenterfor
Poli+calCommunica+onfromNovember11-17,2015.CPCDirectorPaulBrewersupervisedthestudy.
CENTER FOR POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
page4
University of Delaware
Na+onalsurveyonrights,protec+onsfortransgenderpeople
Aboutthestudy
TheNa+onalAgendaOpinionProjectresearchwasfundedbytheUniversityofDelaware’sCenterfor
Poli+calCommunica+on(CPC)andtheWilliamP.FrankFounda+on.Thestudywassupervisedbythe
CPC’sDirector,PaulBrewer,aprofessorintheDepartmentsofCommunica+onandPoli+calScience&
Interna+onalRela+ons.
Resultsarebasedontelephoneinterviewswitharepresenta+vesampleof901adultU.S.residents.
Telephoneinterviewswereconductedvialandline(n=344)andcellphone(n=557).Thesurveywas
conductedundersupervisionoftheCenterforPoli+calCommunica+onbyPrincetonSurveyResearch
AssociatesInterna+onal,andtheinterviewswereadministeredinEnglishbyPrincetonDataSource.The
datawerecollectedfromNovember11-17,2015.Sta+s+calresultsareweightedtocorrectknown
demographicdiscrepancies.Themarginofsamplingerrorforthecompletesetofweighteddatais±3
percentagepoints.
Readersshouldbeawarethatinaddi+ontosamplingerror,ques+onwordingandprac+caldifficul+esin
conduc+ngsurveyscanintroduceerrororbiasintothefindingsofpublicopinionpolls.
PleasecontactPaulBrewerat(302)831-7771formoredetailsaboutthesurvey’smethodology.
page5
CENTER FOR POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
University of Delaware
Na+onalsurveyonrights,protec+onsfortransgenderpeople
UNIVERSITYOFDELAWARECENTERFORPOLITICALCOMMUNICATION
NOVEMBER2015NATIONALAGENDAPOLL
FINALTOPLINE
November11-17,2015
N=901U.S.AdultResidents
PleasetellmehowstronglyyouFAVORorOPPOSEeachofthefollowing—doyoustronglyfavor,favor,
oppose,orstronglyopposethis?
Lawsthatprotecttransgenderpeoplefromjobdiscrimina#on
Stronglyfavor
31%
Favor
39%
Oppose
16%
Stronglyoppose
10%
Don’tknow/refused(volunteered)
4%
TOTAL
100%
AllowingtransgenderpeopletoserveopenlyintheU.S.military
Stronglyfavor
24%
Favor
37%
Oppose
20%
Stronglyoppose
13%
Don’tknow/refused(volunteered)
5%
TOTAL
100%
Requiringpublicbuildingssuchascourthousestohavegender-neutralrestroomsforpatronstouse
Stronglyfavor
16%
Favor
34%
Oppose
26%
Stronglyoppose
17%
Don’tknow/refused(volunteered)
7%
TOTAL
Note:Notallcolumnssumto100%duetorounding.
100%
page6
CENTER FOR POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
University of Delaware
Na+onalsurveyonrights,protec+onsfortransgenderpeople
PleasetellmehowstronglyyouFAVORorOPPOSEeachofthefollowing—doyoustronglyfavor,favor,
oppose,orstronglyopposethis?
Lawsthatprotecttransgenderstudentsfromdiscrimina#oninschools
Stronglyfavor
31%
Favor
40%
Oppose
14%
Stronglyoppose
12%
Don’tknow/refused(volunteered)
4%
TOTAL
Note:Notallcolumnssumto100%duetorounding.
100%
page7
CENTER FOR POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
University of Delaware
Na+onalsurveyonrights,protec+onsfortransgenderpeople
DetailedDemographicTables
PleasetellmehowstronglyyouFAVORorOPPOSEeachofthefollowing:Lawsthatprotecttransgender
peoplefromjobdiscrimina#on—doyoustronglyfavor,favor,oppose,orstronglyopposethis?
Stronglyfavor
Favor
Oppose
Strongly
Oppose
Don’tknow/
Refused
ALLRESPONDENTS
31
39
16
10
4
Women
36
37
15
8
4
Men
24
42
17
12
4
18-34yearsofage
44
34
13
8
1
35-54yearsofage
29
44
16
8
3
55+yearsofage
21
39
18
15
8
Republican
12
40
21
13
5
Democrat
38
39
11
9
4
Independent
31
39
17
9
4
Note:Notallcolumnssumto100%duetorounding.
page8
CENTER FOR POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
University of Delaware
Na+onalsurveyonrights,protec+onsfortransgenderpeople
PleasetellmehowstronglyyouFAVORorOPPOSEeachofthefollowing:Allowingtransgenderpeople
toserveopenlyintheU.S.military—doyoustronglyfavor,favor,oppose,orstronglyopposethis?
Stronglyfavor
Favor
Oppose
Strongly
Oppose
Don’tknow/
Refused
ALLRESPONDENTS
24
37
20
13
5
Women
30
37
20
8
5
Men
19
37
21
18
5
18-34yearsofage
40
32
16
9
3
35-54yearsofage
20
44
20
13
2
55+yearsofage
17
33
24
18
8
Republican
13
30
26
24
6
Democrat
36
38
15
7
4
Independent
22
40
22
13
4
Note:Notallcolumnssumto100%duetorounding.
page9
CENTER FOR POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
University of Delaware
Na+onalsurveyonrights,protec+onsfortransgenderpeople
PleasetellmehowstronglyyouFAVORorOPPOSEeachofthefollowing:Requiringpublicbuildingssuch
ascourthousestohavegender-neutralrestroomsforpatronstouse—doyoustronglyfavor,favor,
oppose,orstronglyopposethis?
Stronglyfavor
Favor
Oppose
Strongly
Oppose
Don’tknow/
Refused
ALLRESPONDENTS
16
34
26
17
7
Women
22
35
24
12
7
Men
10
34
27
23
6
18-34yearsofage
26
33
23
11
6
35-54yearsofage
12
39
28
17
4
55+yearsofage
14
29
26
23
9
Republican
6
28
32
30
5
Democrat
26
40
21
9
5
Independent
16
34
27
17
7
Note:Notallcolumnssumto100%duetorounding.
page10
CENTER FOR POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
University of Delaware
Na+onalsurveyonrights,protec+onsfortransgenderpeople
PleasetellmehowstronglyyouFAVORorOPPOSEeachofthefollowing:Lawsthatprotecttransgender
studentsfromdiscrimina#oninschools—doyoustronglyfavor,favor,oppose,orstronglyopposethis?
Stronglyfavor
Favor
Oppose
Strongly
Oppose
Don’tknow/
Refused
ALLRESPONDENTS
31
40
14
12
4
Women
37
40
12
8
10
Men
25
39
17
15
5
18-34yearsofage
47
36
11
5
2
35-54yearsofage
26
47
13
11
3
55+yearsofage
25
36
17
18
5
Republican
22
40
18
17
6
Democrat
41
38
8
9
4
Independent
30
42
16
10
3
Note:Notallcolumnssumto100%duetorounding.