Tony Perkins, president of the
Christian conservative Family Research Council (FRC), has cheered a
decline in support for LGBT rights among young people.
GLAAD's fifth annual Accelerating
Acceptance Index found a decrease in support among young Americans
ages 18-34 for the second year in a row. Support dropped from 53% to
45%.
“More young people ages 18-34
responded that they were ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ uncomfortable
in three personal scenarios including learning a family member is
LGBT (36% uncomfortable in the 2019 report vs. 29% in the 2018
report); learning my doctor is LGBT (34% vs. 27%); and learning my
child had a lesson on LGBT history in their school (39% vs. 30%),”
GLAAD said in reporting its findings.
The survey was conducted by The Harris
Poll.
Perkins, a vocal opponent of LGBT
rights, cheered the findings in a press release.
“For everyone who’s tired of
scrolling through rainbow pride, here’s some good news,” Perkins
wrote.
“Think the opposition to the LGBT
agenda is only in the aging populations? Think again. The latest wave
of resistance is in the last place most people would look: the 18-34
demographic. The children of Obergefell aren’t exactly
racing to get on the radical bandwagon that’s redefined marriage.”
(Only 25 percent of total respondents
said they feel “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable “seeing
an LGBT co-worker's wedding picture,” a 2 percent decline from the
previous poll.)
“After years of watching this vocal
minority push around Christians and refuse to tolerate other
viewpoints, this group of young people has finally had enough. After
all, they’re the generation who’s been forced to use
gender-neutral pronouns, share locker rooms with the opposite sex,
lose sports meets to biological boys, and embrace every other form of
political correctness,” Perkins concluded.
During an appearance on MSNBC, GLAAD
President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis blamed “the Trump factor” for
the decline in support among young Americans. The Trump
administration's attack on the LGBT community has included the
reintroduction of a ban on transgender troops and the introduction of
policies that critics say enable discrimination against people who
identify as LGBT.