LGBT Voters Could Decide Presidential Election

‘LGBT for Trump’ Not Really, New Poll Proves

LGBT voters are rejecting Donald Trump’s attempts, as shallow, insincere, and diminishing as they have been, by huge margins. A new tracking poll from NBC News/SurveyMonkey shows the vast majority of registered LGBT voters, 72 percent, support Hillary Clinton. Only two out of ten, or 20%, support Donald Trump.

When Gary Johnson and Jill Stein are added to the mix, Clinton beats all of them, again by a huge margin, winning 63 percent of registered LGBT voters. Trump walks away with just 15 percent, Johnson with 13, and Stein with 8.

And it’s important to note that the election could all come down to LGBT voters, who, some say, were the deciding factor in the 2012 election.

“In past elections, LGBT voters have played an important role,” NBC News reports. “According to results from the 2012 NBC News Exit Polls, 5 percent of voters identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual** and 76 percent voted for Barack Obama. Voters who did not identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual were split—49 percent voted for Obama and 49 percent voted for Romney.”

Trump’s shameless and hollow pandering to LGBT voters all started back in February. Trump, confronted by a journalist who interviewed him in New Hampshire, lied by claiming he would support LGBT civil rights and equality, and bring everyone together.

“When President Trump is in office can we look for more forward motion on equality for gays and lesbians?” NECN reporter and Bay Windows publisher Sue O’Connell asked.

“Well, you can,” Trump promised.

Over the summer, Trump ramped up the lies, claiming in June, “The LGBT community, the gay community, the lesbian community, they are so much in favor of what I’ve been saying over the last three or four days.”

He also falsely claimed he is the most pro-gay candidate in any major party running for office, and assailed the Obama administration’s record on LGBT civil rights, which he called “LBGT.”

82 percent of LGBT voters in the NBC News poll had an unfavorable view of Trump. 41 percent of LGBT voters had an unfavorable view of Clinton.

Overall, the poll found seven percent of registered voters identified as LGBT.

“The LGBT community was an important group for Obama’s re-election four years ago,” NBC News concludes, “and will be a key group for the Democratic Party again in November.”

 

Image by John Morton via Flickr and a CC license
Hat tip: Towleroad