76% of LGBTQ voters prefer Biden over Trump
81% of LGBTQ likely voters say they are more motivated to vote this year than in recent elections
A new poll from Pathfinder Opinion Research, commissioned by the LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD, finds that more than three-quarters of LGBTQ respondents are going to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden over President Donald Trump in November’s election.
The poll, which surveyed 800 LGBTQ adults across the nation from Sept. 21-25, finds that, among LGBTQ people who are likely voters, 76% would select Biden for president, while 17% would choose Trump. Five percent say they are selecting another candidate, while 2% remain unsure.
Among gay male registered voters, 79% say they’d select Biden, compared to 17% Trump, while 3% say they’d select someone else and 1% say they’re undecided.
This runs counter to the findings of a recent nonscientific survey of self-identified queer men by the social media app Hornet, which found that 45% of likely queer male U.S. respondents said they would prefer to vote for Trump, while only 51% would vote for Biden.
That poll has since been touted by Trump on social media to demonstrate his support among the LGBTQ community. But Pathfinder Research’s findings paint a different picture.
“In contradiction to unscientific polling released by another entity, this survey clearly shows Biden holding a substantial lead among LGBTQ voters of all sexual orientations and gender identities, including those who identify as gay men,” Pathfinder Research wrote in its memo to GLAAD.
Pathfinder’s findings also align closely to the partisan breakdown in the last presidential election, when exit polls revealed that Hillary Clinton had earned 77% of the LGBTQ vote to President Trump’s 14%.
Of all poll respondents, 88% say they are registered to vote, while another 10% say they are not. Of those registered to vote, 92% percent (or almost 81% of all respondents) say they will “definitely” or “probably” vote in November’s election.
Regarding their enthusiasm to vote, 81% percent of likely voters (or about 65% of all respondents) say they are more motivated to vote in 2020 than they have been in recent elections, and 70% of likely voters say they’re “extremely motivated” to cast their ballots this election cycle.
Fifty-seven percent of all respondents, regardless of their intention to vote, have a “somewhat” or “very” favorable opinion of Biden, and 50% say the same of his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris.
In contrast, only 16% say they have a “somewhat” or “very” favorable opinion of Trump, and 13% say the same of his running mate, Vice President Mike Pence.
Pathfinder Research noted in its write-up of the poll that it is that aversion to Trump and Pence that is driving the lopsided vote margin.
More than two-thirds of LGBTQ adults, or 68%, say they have a “very unfavorable” view of Trump, and 72% of LGBTQ likely voters express a similar sentiment.
However, while Pence has lower favorable numbers overall than Trump, voters express less animosity towards him, with 53% of LGBTQ adults, and 59% of LGBTQ likely voters, saying they have a “very unfavorable” view of the vice president.
Related: Eric Trump says he’s “part of the LGBT community.” Wait, what?
Earlier this week, the president’s son, Eric Trump, appeared on Fox & Friends to claim: “The LGBT community, they are incredible. And you should see how they come out in full force for my father every single day,” referring to an op-ed run in the New York Times by a lesbian who plans to vote for Trump but who wishes to remain anonymous.
In addition to touting the Hornet poll, LGBTQ supporters of the president, including former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell, have asserted that the president is pro-LGBTQ, citing his stated support of marriage equality prior to his presidential run, his opposition to a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, and his statement on the campaign trail that he did not care if a transgender person like Caitlyn Jenner used the women’s bathroom at Trump Tower.
Grenell has since shared a video calling Trump “the strongest ally that gay Americans have ever had in the White House.” The Washington Post‘s Fact Checker later debunked that claim.
“LGBTQ voters are poised to make a deciding difference this election year. Today’s poll demonstrates a monumental lead for Vice President Biden in the race for President,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “The poll should put to rest the misinformation from unreliable sources about where critical LGBTQ voters stand in this election, misinformation that’s unfortunately been repeated in the media.”
Read more:
Trump SCOTUS pick Amy Coney Barrett would “dismantle” LGBTQ rights
President Trump, unhinged and erratic, bulldozes Biden, Chris Wallace, and democracy
Trump administration boycotted for pushing anti-LGBTQ “religious freedom” at United Nations
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