A record number of non-LGBTQ Americans support equal rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, according to the latest yearly “Accelerating Acceptance” study from GLAAD, a LGBTQ media-advocacy organization,
“With the release of this data, GLAAD finds that support for LGBTQ equal rights in America among non-LGBTQ people is now at an all-time high,” the report notes. “Any narrative claiming otherwise goes against a statistical supermajority of consensus, public opinion and American values.”
As for corporate responsibility and representation on such matters, the study finds that a significant number non-LGBTQ Americans agree that companies should publicly support and include the LGBTQ community through hiring practices as well as advertising and sponsorships.
“Support for LGBTQ equality has reached an all-time high, but allyship must turn into action,” said GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis. “Media, content creators and corporate leaders need to lead and respond to hate with undeterred support for the LGBTQ community, including LGBTQ employees, shareholders and consumers. Allyship is not easy, but when values of diversity, equity and inclusion are tested, we must defend them unequivocally.”
GLAAD’s study was conducted online in February, using a national sample of 2533 U.S. adults aged 18 or over. But a couple of recent events demonstrate that support by corporations can still be a fraught proposition.
Beer brewer Anheuser-Busch has been under fire from some quarters since early April, when transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney posted a video in partnership with Bud Light surrounding the then-ongoing NCAA March Madness tournament. Then, just prior to the start of June, which is LGBTQ Pride Month, Target said it was removing or moving pride-related merchandise in its stores after experiencing “threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work.”
Click here for the full survey results.