Nearly six in 10 Americans oppose laws that criminalize bathroom use by transgender individuals

Daily Kos Staff

Monday May 09, 2016 · 8:15 AM PDT

2016/05/09 · 08:15

"Public Restrooms" sign surrounded by greenery.

A solid majority of Americans oppose laws that require transgender individuals to use bathrooms that correspond to the sex on their birth certificates, according to a new CNN/ORC poll released Monday. Even Republicans are evenly divided on the matter:

Overall, 57% say they oppose laws requiring transgender individuals to use facilities that do not match their gender identity, 38% support such laws. Strong opposition (39%) outweighs strong support for these laws (25%). There's a partisan gap on the question, with Democrats and independents more apt to oppose them than Republicans.

But Republicans aren't broadly in favor of them either. The poll finds Republicans about evenly split on laws like this, with 48% in favor and 48% opposed. Republicans are divided by ideology, with moderate and liberal Republicans tilting against the laws and conservative Republicans breaking in favor. That mirrors a pattern found in surveys on support for legal gay marriage, with moderate or liberal Republicans generally more in favor of gay couples' right to marry than conservative Republicans.

Once more, 75 percent of voters support laws that would guarantee equal protection to transgender individuals in jobs, housing, and public accommodations.

Demographically, support for equal protection laws and opposition to laws requiring transgender people to use facilities that correspond with birth gender are somewhat lower among older adults, men, those without college degrees and those who live in rural areas.

Nearly six in 10 Americans oppose laws that criminalize bathroom use by transgender individuals

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