Most Americans still prefer candidates who support LGBTQ+ rights

After years of Republican attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, especially transgender rights, a new poll finds that most likely voters still prefer candidates who support LGBTQ+ people over those who oppose them.The survey from Data for Progress, released Friday and shared exclusively with The Advocate, found that 51 percent of likely voters said they were most likely to vote for a candidate who vocally supports LGBTQ+ rights. Thirty-two percent said they would prefer a candidate who vocally opposes LGBTQ+ rights, and 16 percent said they did not know.The finding does not mean the country is moving steadily toward greater acceptance. Earlier this month, The Advocate reported on Gallup polling showing that support for LGBTQ+ rights has dropped from recent highs. Gallup found that 65 percent of U.S. adults say same-sex marriages should be legal, down from 71 percent in 2022 and 2023. Gallup also found that 62 percent of Americans say gay or lesbian relations are morally acceptable, the lowest level since 2016, and that 38 percent say affirming one’s gender is morally acceptable.Related: Two NYC Democrats running for a U.S. House seat battle to prove who’s more pro-LGBTQ+ But the Data for Progress poll shows that LGBTQ+ issues are not voters’ top priority — only 1 percent of likely voters named them as the issue they consider most when choosing a candidate — but when voters were asked directly whether they preferred a candidate who supports LGBTQ+ rights or one who opposes them, most chose the pro-LGBTQ+ candidate.Republicans have spent years trying to turn LGBTQ+ rights into a political weapon. Data for Progress notes that President Donald Trump and Republican candidates spent at least $215 million on television ads attacking Democrats on trans issues manufactured by the right during the 2024 election cycle. Since returning to office, Trump has not formally recognized Pride Month, as he did during his first term, while several Republican-led states have designated June