A poll conducted by Harris International for Logo TV has found that mainstream Americans no longer consider LGBT equality a wedge issue.
A new survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Logo TV found that all political candidates could benefit from supporting LGBT equality. The poll was conducted earlier this month and surveyed nearly 3,000 people — almost half of whom self-identified as LGBT.
The poll found that a candidate’s position on LGBT rights influences a voter’s likelihood to support them. When asked if Mitt Romney hypothetically held the same positions as Barack Obama on LGBT rights, 22% of LGBT voters said they would be more likely to vote for the presumptive Republican nominee. A follow-up question concluded that 26% of LGBT voters would be more likely to vote for Republican candidates if the party held the same position on LGBT equality as does the Democratic Party.
Among general population voters, 49% said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supported legislation to define and prevent bullying of LGBT students. Forty-eight percent said they would be more likely to support a candidate who supported laws prohibiting workplace discrimination against gays and lesbians.
Another question reaffirmed several recent polls which have found a slight majority of American voters support same-sex marriage. The Logo poll found support for same-sex marriage at 52% among likely voters and opposition at 40%.
Kenneth Sherrill, professor emeritus of political science at Hunter College at the City University of New York, told Logo, “This survey documents a political transformation of epic proportions. LGBT rights are no longer a wedge issue in American politics.”
