Canadians less accepting of gender and sexual minorities: poll

Ipsos released the results of a poll that queried Canadians on their attitudes towards sexual and gender minorities. Overall, Canadians are less accepting compared to 2021. This drop was mirrored in Angus Reid polling data about Canadian attitudes to trans people as well.

Given the success of the moral panic conservatives have manufactured around the visibility of gender non-conformity, the numbers are disappointing but unsurprising. The data didn’t look at political affiliations, but I suspect that the drop is disproportionately from those who consume right-wing media.

Who Canadians know

LGBT people being open about their sexual orientation or gender identity

49% of Canadians are okay with LGBT people being out of the closet, a 12% drop from 2021

Do you have a relative, friend or work colleague who is lesbian/gay/homosexual

52% of Canadians said yes, an 8% drop since 2021

Do you have a relative, friend or work colleague who is transgender

18% of Canadians said yes, the same number as in 2021

Do you have a relative, friend or work colleague who is non-binary, gender non-conforming or gender-fluid

18% of Canadians said yes, a 2% increase from 2021

Are you any of: lesbian, gay, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, asexual, transgender, non-binary, gender non-
conforming, gender-fluid, other than male or female

13% of Canadians said yes

Have you ever attended the wedding of a same-sex couple

13% of Canadians said yes, the same as in 2021

Have you ever attended a public event in support of LGBT people (e.g., a Pride march)

18% of Canadians said yes, the same as in 2021

Have you ever visited a bar or a night-club that caters primarily to LGBT people

24% of Canadians said yes, the same as in 2021

How Canadians feel

LGBT people displaying affection in public (e.g., kissing or holding hands)

40% of Canadians are okay with it, an 8% drop from 2021

Laws banning discrimination against LGBT people when it comes to employment, access to education, housing and social services, etc.

54% of Canadians are in support, a 9% drop from 2021

Lesbian, gay and bisexual athletes in sports teams

50% Canadians are in support, an 11% drop from 2021

Transgender athletes competing based on the gender they identify with rather the sex they were assigned at birth

21% of Canadians are in support, a 12% drop from 2021

More LGBT characters on TV, in films and in advertising

34% Canadians are in support, a 10% drop from 2021

Same-sex marriage or legal recognition

75% of Canadians support the right to marry / oppose a right to marry but support some kind of legal recognition, a 7% drop from 2021

Same-sex couples should have the same rights to adopt children as heterosexual couples do

70% of Canadians agree, an 11% drop from 2021

Same-sex couples are just as likely as other parents to successfully raise children

71% of Canadians agree, a 13% drop from 2021

Trans-specific questions

Transgender people should be allowed to use single-sex facilities (e.g., public restrooms) that correspond to the gender they identify with

45% of Canadians agree, a 6% drop since 2023

Health insurance systems should cover the costs of gender transition no differently than the costs of other medical procedures

36% of Canadians agree, a 4% drop since 2023

With parental consent, transgender teenagers should be allowed to receive gender-affirming care (e.g., counselling and hormone replacement treatment)

48% of Canadians agree, a 10% drop since 2023

Government-issued documents such as passports should include an option other than “male” and “female” for people who do not identify as either

40% of Canadians agree, a 9% drop since 2023