Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris answers questions during a moderated conversation with members of the National Association of Black Journalists hosted by WHYY September 17, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Source: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Poll: Nearly Three-Quarters of Queer Voters Stand with Kamala Harris

Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 3 MIN.

With 47 days until Americans head to the polls to choose their next president, savvy queer voters seem to have decided: Nearly three-quarters are standing with Kamala Harris, according to a new poll.

"Harris holds a nearly 67-point lead over Trump, according to the survey from the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ advocacy organization," political news site The Hill reported, "and an almost 70-point lead when the results are restricted to those who plan to vote."

The Hill detailed that "Data collection began two weeks after President Biden abandoned his reelection campaign and endorsed Harris and just days after Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a longtime LGBTQ rights advocate, as her running mate."

"Survey responses were recorded about a week before independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump."

This year's vote is likely to follow the trend in recent election cycles, meaning the winning candidate will probably prevail by a whisker thanks to the country's neck-and-neck, but sharp, partisan divide. That being the case, no demographic can be discounted – and the LGBTQ+ populace, with their allies, constitute a powerful voting bloc.

That could make all the difference, especially since America's queer citizens are very conscious of the fact that their civil rights – indeed, their freedoms and their families – are likely on the line in this election. They are acting accordingly, getting fired up and ready to make their voices heard.

"A staggering 95 percent of LGBTQ adults surveyed said they are registered to vote in this year's elections," The Hill noted, "far higher than the general population and consistent with findings from prior surveys that LGBTQ Americans tend to be more politically active."

That is hardly surprising, given the time, money, and effort that Republican lawmakers have invested in a number of states to propose and pass anti-LGBTQ+ laws, with transgender Americans – often, children – the most frequent targets of hostile legislation.

"Advancing LGBTQ equality and combating anti-LGBTQ laws ranked highest on LGBTQ voters' priorities, according to the poll, with close to 52 percent of respondents listing it as their top voting issue," The Hill noted.

Furthermore, polling data shows the direct result of those legislative attacks is an enduring force come each Election Day.

"In a 2022 survey of more than 92,000 transgender adults," The Hill detailed, "more than 80 percent of voting-eligible respondents said they were registered to vote in the 2020 presidential election."

"Seventy-five percent said they cast a ballot that year, compared with 67 percent nationwide, which was the highest voter turnout of the 21st century."

The more recent poll shows that the trend holds strong. "More than 93 percent of LGBTQ Americans in Tuesday's survey said they are motivated to vote in November," The Hill explained, "including 73 percent who said they are 'very' motivated to vote."

"Roughly 60 percent of Generation Z LGBTQ adults said they are motivated to cast a ballot," The Hill added, "along with 72 percent of millennials and 91 percent of Generation X respondents."

"Without a doubt, LGBTQ+ voters will continue to use the ballot box to fight for our right to live and thrive free from discrimination in this election and beyond," The Hill quoted HRC Director of Public Education and Research Shoshana K. Goldberg saying.

If history holds lessons for the future, a Harris win could be directly attributable to the queer vote; The Hill commented on "the political power of LGBTQ voters, who were instrumental in sending Biden and Harris to the White House in 2020."

In polls of the general electorate, Harris has been faring better in the wake of her debate with Trump, in which the one-term former president made bizarre claims about Haitian immigrants stealing and devouring their neighbors' pet cats and dogs – a claim that, despite being easily proven false, both Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, have doubled down on.

As of Sept. 18, Harris leads Trump with 50% of likely voters leaning toward casting their votes for her, while Trump trails at 45%, according to the New York Times.


by Kilian Melloy , EDGE Staff Reporter

Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.

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