Ahead of Pride Month, YouGov asked Americans about their familiarity with LGBTQ+ topics and history, as well as whether they believe these topics should be covered in schools.
There has been much discussion this year on whether classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity should be allowed in public schools. YouGov’s previous polling indicated that 44% of Americans support banning public-school teachers from providing classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity to children in kindergarten through third grade, while 41% are opposed.
Unsurprisingly, Americans continue to be divided on this issue. Americans are split on whether public schools should include curricula about different sexual orientations and gender identities. While 42% believe they should, 45% say they should not. Three-quarters (74%) of LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, non-binary, etc.) people believe students should be educated on these topics, while 21% say they should not be.
Democrats (68%) are more likely than Independents (39%) and Republicans (20%) to say public schools should teach students about different gender identities and sexual orientations.
There is also some division on whether schools should acknowledge a student's gender identity if it differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.
Americans are more likely to say that schools should (45%) acknowledge students’ gender identities than to say they should not (38%).
Among LGBTQ+ Americans, 77% say schools should acknowledge students’ gender identities if they differ from the sex they were assigned at birth, while 18% say they should not.
Democrats (67%) are more likely than Independents (45%) and Republicans (21%) to say schools should acknowledge students’ gender identities.
Relatively few (14%) Americans say that students in kindergarten through 2nd grade should be taught about LGBTQ+ history, while only 19% say it should be taught to students in 3rd through 5th grade. About twice as many (36%) think students in grades 6 through 8 should be taught LGBTQ+ history, and 50% believe students in high school (grades 9 through 12) should be educated on these topics.
For students at every education level, Democrats are more likely than Republicans and Independents to say students should be educated on LGBTQ+ history.
LGBTQ+ people are more likely than Americans overall to support teaching LGBTQ+ history to students of every education level. Among LGBTQ+ people, 48% say students should be educated on LGBTQ+ history when they are in kindergarten through 2nd grade. A similar percentage (51%) say children in 3rd through 5th grade should receive education on these topics, and 66% say students in 6th through 8th should be taught about LGBTQ+ history. Just over three-quarters (77%) say students in grades 9 through 12 should learn about LGBTQ+ history.
— Taylor Orth contributed to this article
Related:
- Pride 2022: What Americans know about Pride, and what they see as the future for LGBTQ+ Americans
- How much do Americans know about abortion in the U.S.?
This poll was conducted on May 23 - 27, 2022, among 1,000 U.S. adult citizens. Explore more on the methodology and data for this poll.
Image: Unsplash by Kenny Eliason
