Transgender people largely lack sense of community, seek refuge online

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Fewer than half of transgender adults feel comfortable being themselves, even in their local communities, according to a poll results released last week.

Respondents to the poll conducted by progressive thinktank Data for Progress said they could neither dress or act as they felt nor engage in public displays of affection without fear of harassment or violence.

“It’s clear that many LGBTQ+ people, particularly those who are transgender, struggle to feel a sense of belonging and don’t feel comfortable expressing themselves,” said Rob Todaro, communications director for the Washington, D.C.-based agency.

A separate Data for Progress survey conducted among likely voters found that LGBTQ+ voters are more dissatisfied with their mental health, standard of living and household income compared with straight, cisgender voters. Both findings, Todaro said, are inevitably linked to “the relentless political attacks” leveled at the LBGTQ+ community and illustrate the need for elected officials to promote acceptance and address economic and health disparities.

Last month, the LGBTQ rights organization Human Rights Campaign issued the first emergency declaration in its 40-plus-year history after more than 75 anti-LGBTQ bills were signed into law in various states in 2023, more than doubling last year’s record number.

What did the polls find?

Both Data for Progress surveys were conducted in May, with the results released to coincide with the 54^th anniversary of New York’s Stonewall Riots, an event that helped spark the LGBTQ+ movement. In the first survey, 1,036 LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S. were asked to what degree they felt they belonged in society and in their neighborhoods.

More than half of LGBTQ+ adults as a whole said they felt like they somewhat or strongly belonged in society (53%) and their surrounding communities (52%), with feelings of acceptance highest among those 65 and older: Nearly 7 in 10 of that age group said they felt a high sense of belonging in society, compared with just 43% of those between 18 and 24.

About 6 in 10 transgender adults reported a low sense of belonging in society. Meanwhile, 25% of transgender respondents said they felt a low sense of belonging in their own neighborhoods, while another quarter said they felt like they didn’t belong at all.

Transgender adults were also less likely to feel comfortable being themselves without fear of violence or harassment than their LGBQ+ counterparts, the poll found: Just 45% said they felt OK dressing as they chose, compared with 67% of LGBQ+ individuals; similarly, 46% felt free to engage in public displays of affection in their communities compared with 59% of LGBQ+ respondents.

Just 43% of transgender adults said they felt comfortable being open about their identity compared with 60% of LGBTQ+ people who did not identity as transgender.

Finding a sense of community online

More than 4 in 10 LGBTQ+ adults said they relied more on online spaces to find socialization and affirmation than their local communities.

“On a daily basis, LGBTQ+ adults socialize with other LGBTQ+ people more often in online communities or on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, or Discord (41 percent) than in their local community (33 percent),” the authors wrote.

However, whether online or in their neighborhoods, transgender adults were more likely to socialize with other members of the LGBTQ+ community, with nearly half (48%) saying they socialized daily with other LGBTQ+ community members. Just 30% of those not identifying as transgender socialized daily with other LGBTQ+ people in their neighborhoods, while 40% socialized daily with other LGBTQ+ people online.

Online spaces were especially affirming for young LGBTQ+ adults, the poll found: 77% of those 18 to 24 said they were open to most people in their online communities, compared with those who said they were similarly open to people in their neighborhood (31%) or with their families (49%).

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