Public Opinion on Transgender Rights

• In Event: Poster Session: New Perspectives in Political Science Research: Scholarship by Vanderbilt REU Students

Abstract

Although transgender people make up roughly 3% of the population (Ipsos, 2023), recent years have seen widespread media and political spotlights on this community. The Latin America and Caribbean region is marked by a high rate of Catholicism, a long history of colonialism and its continued effects, and violence that plagues marginalized people in the continent. While this may explain the high rates of violence affecting transgender and gender diverse people, policy and public opinion in the region remains mixed. This project utilizes data from the 2023 AmericasBarometer survey of Guatemala to analyze how trust in institutions predicts views on the rights of transgender and gender diverse people. In particular, this study analyzes links between trust in the Catholic church and the Evangelical church and views towards transgender and gender diverse rights. This work builds on prior scholarship pertaining to religiosity and its impact on views of LGBT+ people.

Author

• Charlie Dors, Northern Arizona University