Voters aren’t swayed by anti-trans ads, according to recent polls

Recent data suggests that prospective voters are not only sick and tired of the slew of anti-trans ads being pushed by the right, but that these ads have no actual bearing on whether people are likely to vote Republican or not.

Journalist Erin Reed reported on a poll by Data for Progress that shows the majority of people prefer candidates progressive on trans issues, at 57%. Even a shocking 33% of Republicans prefer progressive policies on transgender issues. The majority of the populace, including voters on the right, said there was too much focus on trans issues and that other topics mattered much more.

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The vast majority of voters across all parties said that political parties should focus less on transgender issues, with upwards of a 77% margin.

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Meanwhile, a similar study by Ground Media revealed that anti-trans ads “yielded no statistically significant shift in voter choice, mobilization or likelihood to vote.”

However, there is a negative consequence to these ads—namely, they reduce support of transgender people.

“The [anti-trans] ad significantly reduces public acceptance of trans people across nearly all demographics. Viewers exposed to the anti-trans ad were less likely to support policies ensuring trans access to healthcare (-3.7% backlash) and showed a reduced comfortability with accepting a trans friend or family member (-3.1% backlash), even among those who say they currently know someone who is trans (-3.5% backlash),” the study authors explained in a press release.

“Tens of millions of dollars are being spent on ads that demonize and spread lies about transgender people, and it’s not earning one vote,” says GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. GLAAD worked with Ground Media on producing this study. “After the election, trans Americans will have to deal with the dangerous fallout from the shameful lies and misinformation that far too many political candidates are intentionally spreading.”

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