Most US voters aren’t happy about political attacks on trans kids
A total of 83 per cent of US voters think political attacks on transgender children is a problem. (Getty)
More than half of US voters think transgender children are wrongly targeted by political attacks, according to a Fox News poll – and only one percent are concerned about “wokeness”.
Statistics collected from registered voters found that 57 per cent believe political attacks against trans children are a “major problem”, and 26 per cent see it as a “minor problem”.
Overall, 83 per cent of respondents saw political attacks against trans youth as a problem – with only 15 per cent saying they don’t have an issue with it, and 3 per cent saying they are unsure.
Data from the survey of 1,004 registered voters across the US from 21-24 April was released by Rupert Murdoch’s US news corporation on Wednesday (26 April).
It looks at various issues facing the US today, including the economy, gun rights and foreign affairs.
Currently, 44 per cent of voters approve of Joe Biden’s presidential run, while 55 per cent disapprove and one per cent aren’t sure.
Unsurprisingly, the most significant problem facing Americans today appears to be the job market and the economy, with 24 per cent saying it’s the most important issue.
The second significant problem in the US is inflation and the cost of living, with 16 per cent of voters saying it’s their main issue. The third is gun violence, with 12 per cent.
In contrast, only one per cent of voters think that transgender issues are a significant problem in the US.
The public’s view on so-called “wokeness” is so insignificant, in fact, that it does not appear on the list of priority issues in either of the 2021 polls included in the data for comparison purposes.
Despite this, state legislatures have poured a significant amount of time and resources into introducing anti-LGBTQ+ bills that curtail the rights of trans people – particularly trans youth.
Possibly the most significant is the anti-LGBTQ+ campaign spearheaded by Florida’s Republican governor – and presidential hopeful – Ron DeSantis, who has passed a number of bills targeting the queer community.
This year saw a surge in book bans across Florida as part of an effort to censor LGBTQ+ literature.
This is despite 87 per cent of US voters viewing book bans as a problem in the US, with 27 per cent saying it’s a minor problem and 60 per cent seeing it as a major problem.
Independent journalist Erin Reed responded to the poll’s findings on Twitter, saying that it proves “anti-trans politics are not popular”.
“Everyone sees the attacks on trans people and people do not like it,” she continued.
“There is a reason the GOP chair blamed their loss of all three branches of government to their focus on anti-trans politics.”
Media Matters LGBTQ+ program director Ari Drennen tweeted that Republicans should take the poll as a sign to stay away from anti-trans laws.
“If I’m a GOP strategist looking at this Fox News poll, I would never mention trans kids again, honestly,” she said. “Voters have had enough of the meanness.
“There’s tons of evidence that this isn’t a blip. Tudor Dixon, Kari Lake and every other candidate who pushed attacks on their opponents for supporting trans kids lost in 2022.”
