A new study by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is showing that a surprising number of Americans are still quite homophobic. A study released today titled The Accelerating Acceptance Report revealed disappointing realities about the lack of understanding many Americans still have regarding the rights of America’s LGBTQ population.
The American Acceptance report also found that 50 percent of all non-LGBT Americans dangerously believe that, following nationwide marriage equality, all gay people have the same rights as everyone else. Additionally, 27 percent of those polled believed that violence directed at the transgender community is not a problem and 37 percent of non-LGBT Americans did not view homelessness for queer youth as a major issue.
“Complacency is the enemy of social progress,” GLAAD CEO & President Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “2015 was a monumental year for the LGBT community, but marriage equality is a benchmark — not a finish line. The hard work of legislative change must go hand in hand with that which cannot be decided in a courtroom: changing hearts and minds.”
