Commentary

The sky is not falling because 20 percent of LGBTQ voters support Trump

The sky is not falling because 20 percent of LGBTQ voters support Trump

A new poll from NBC News/SurveyMonkey finds that 72 percent of registered LGBT voters support Clinton, compared to 20 percent who support Trump.

Clinton Trump LGBT vote
Via NBC News/SurveyMonkey

That figure, 20 percent of LGBTQ voters supporting Donald Trump, is causing some alarm.

INSANITY: 20% Of LGBT Voters Support Trump,” yells Joe.My.God‘s headline. “Wow!” says The Gaily Grind‘s Facebook description with their article.

While it seems crazy enough to many that Trump is one election win away from us all having to put “President” in front of his name, the idea that a number of LGBTQ folk would vote for someone who is so clearly against their interests seems like the insane icing on the absurd cake.

After all, the man just said he would sign FADA into law, allowing for anti-LGBTQ discrimination. He has surrounded himself with anti-LGBTQ advisers and is running on a platform and with a running mate that are both avowedly anti-LGBTQ. He can name check us in his speeches all he wants, but anyone who hasn’t consumed all the available Kool-Aid should not be fooled into believing him when he says he would be better for the LGBTQ community than opponent Hillary Clinton.

So where are all the pro-Trump voters coming from? The same place they always came from, the die hard ranks of the Republican Party. Trump is polling slowly below what previous Republican nominees have garnered from LGBTQ voters according to exit polling.

According to exit polling conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research on the LGBTQ vote, Mitt Romney received 23 percent in 2012, John McCain netted 27 percent in 2008 and George W. Bush got 23 percent in 2004. None of these candidates can be considered pro-LGBTQ.

exit polling lgbt vote
LGBTQ voting percentages, via Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, screenshot by Chris Johnson, Washington Blade.

When you add Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein into the question, Clinton’s support drops to 63 percent, while Trump’s drops to 15 percent, with Johnson garnering 13 percent and Stein eight.

trump_johnson_nearly_tied_among_lgbt_voters_chartbuilder_1_b6086297f7d284a1e5c0ba0dfe9796b7-nbcnews-ux-2880-1000
Via NBC News/SurveyMonkey

In other words, adding the other two candidates takes 25 percent away from Trump and just 12.5 percent away from Clinton.

The poll also examined Clinton and Trump’s likability among LGBTQ voters, with 59 percent reporting they view Clinton favorable to 41 percent unfavorably, and only 17 percent viewing Trump favorably, to 82 percent unfavorably.

Via NBC News/SurveyMonkey
Via NBC News/SurveyMonkey

So while you are free to feel baffled that any LGBTQ person would vote Trump, this is not too shocking and the overwhelming majority are with her.

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