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Joe Biden received 81% of the LGBT+ vote in the 3 November election – far more than exit polls previously indicated.
However, while a new poll shows US LGBT+ voters are positive about a Biden presidency, they are worried the Supreme Court may remove their rights.
In particular 77% are worried the new Supreme Court will overturn marriage equality.
Meanwhile voters said the response to COVID-19 was the most important issue in how they decided to vote.
The poll was commissioned by LGBT+ organization GLAAD. Its president and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, said:
‘GLAAD’s poll confirms the impact of the LGBTQ vote as a deciding difference in the 2020 election, especially first-time LGBTQ voters who led a powerful surge of support for the pro-equality ticket.’
Historic LGBT+ turnout
Pathfinder Opinion Research, who conducted the GLAAD poll, found that 93% of LGBT+ registered voters used their vote in the 2020 general election.
Meanwhile 25% voted for the first time.
Getting out the LGBT+ vote was hugely important to Biden and the Democrats as the election generated the biggest voter turnout in history.
The poll shows that 81% chose President-Elect Biden with just 14% voting for President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile those figures are even higher for first time LGBT+ voters. Of them, 86% went for Biden and just 10% for Trump.
Those figures differ massively from exit polls by Edison Research for the National Election Poll. Edison’s data suggested that Trump won 27% of the LGBT+ vote.
However, it has now emerged that Edison based its results on just 250 LGBT+ voters and the data has a margin of error of 7%. The way it conducted its polling may also have skewed the figures.
By comparison, GLAAD says Pathfinder Opinion Research interviewed 800 LGBT+ people and has a margin of error of just 3.5%.
Meanwhile the new polls shows 78% of LGBT+ adults rate Biden ‘excellent or good’ in addressing LGBT+ issues during the campaign. By contrast, 80% rated President Trump ‘not so good or poor’ in addressing LGBT+ issues during the campaign.
Supreme Court fears
GLAAD also asked voters what the most important issues were in the election. They responded:
- COVID-19 response: 54%
- Healthcare: 25%
- Racial Justice: 22%
- LGBT+ equality: 21%
- Jobs and economy: 18%
- Environment and climate change: 16%
Now two-thirds of LGBT+ Americans feel more optimistic about the future, thanks to the election result.
However, they are still worried that the Supreme Court – with a stronger conservative bench – will start rolling back protections:
- 80% concerned about LGBTQ employment protections.
- 80% concerned about transgender protections.
- 77% concerned marriage equality will be overturned.
- 74% concerned Roe v Wade will be overturned.
- 73% concerned the Affordable Care Act will be overturned.
Moreover, 83% think it is very or somewhat important to have an LGBT+ justice join the Supreme Court in the future.
Ellis added: ‘LGBTQ voters also revealed the devastating challenges they’re facing in the COVID-19 crisis and as healthcare is debated in the out-of-control pandemic, as well as the demand for racial justice, issues that led the way for the entire LGBTQ community.
‘These issues reflect the compassion and intelligence of LGBTQ people, and the importance of intersectionality to the LGBTQ community and to America as a whole – that with a diversity of differences in age, race, gender and economic status, we can and will unite as a powerful voting bloc for change – and achieve it.”
Pathfinder Opinion Research conducted its poll for GLAAD from 9 to 14 November.
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