A new poll by ONE Community Foundation and OH Predictive Insights shows strong support for updating Arizona’s non-discrimination law to include sexual orientation and gender identity among Arizonans. Arizona’s current non-discrimination law provides protections based on race, gender, religion national origin, ethnicity, and disability, but does not include sexual orientation or gender identity. This poll comes at the same time the first bipartisan bill, HB 2586, to update Arizona’s non-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, employment and public accommodations is under consideration in the Arizona House of Representatives.
“This poll demonstrates what we’ve known for quite some time - treating people fairly and with respect isn’t a partisan issue. General Election voters overwhelmingly support equal protection policies, and well over half of self-identified conservatives support equal treatment policies as well. Arizonans understand that equal treatment is not only the right thing to do, but if we want to build a sustainable economy and attract and retain the very best then we must be open for business to everyone on the same terms,” said Angela Hughey, Co-Founder and President of ONE Community and ONE Community Foundation.
In a two-part poll conducted February 1 through February 5 that included a 400 sample (41% cell Phones / 59% landlines) of 2018 likely General Election voters, and a 400 sample (23% cell phones / 77% landlines) of self-identified conservatives, support for updating Arizona’s non-discrimination law to include sexual orientation and gender identity was strong across the areas of employment, housing and public services.
- General Election voters favored policies that protect gay and transgender people from discrimination in employment at 77.8% while self-identified conservative voters favored employment protections at 62.3%.
- General Election voters favored policies that protect gay and transgender people from discrimination in public services at 77.3%, and self-identified conservatives favored public services protections at 58.9%
- General Election voters favored policies that protect gay and transgender people from discrimination in housing at a rate of 73%, and self-identified conservatives favored housing protections at 55.7%
Highlights from the poll:
Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose or strongly oppose policies that protect gay and transgender people from discrimination in employment?
General: Conservative:
Strongly Favor – 230 – 57.5% Strongly Favor – 127 – 31.4%
Favor – 81 – 20.3% Favor – 125 – 30.9%
Strongly Oppose – 30 – 7.4% Strongly Oppose – 50 – 12.4%
Oppose – 19 – 4.8% Oppose – 39 – 9.7%
No Opinion – 40 – 10.0% No Opinion – 63 – 15.6%
Total – 400/404 participants – 100%
Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose or strongly oppose policies that protect gay and transgender people from discrimination in public services?
General: Conservative:
Strongly Favor – 226 – 56.6% Strongly Favor – 114 – 28.2%
Favor – 83 – 20.8% Favor – 124 – 30.7%
Strongly Oppose – 25 – 6.3% Strongly Oppose – 48 – 11.9%
Oppose – 20 – 5.0% Oppose – 42 – 10.4%
No Opinion – 46 – 11.4% No Opinion – 75 – 18.6%
Refused – 0 – 0 Refused – 1 – 0.2
Total – 400/404 participants = 100%
Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose or strongly oppose policies that protect gay and transgender people from discrimination in housing?
General: Conservative:
Strongly favor – 212 – 53.0% Strongly favor – 106 – 26.2%
Favor – 80 – 20.0% Favor – 119 – 29.5%
Strongly oppose – 31- 7.8% Strongly Oppose – 60 – 14.9%
Oppose – 28 – 7.0% Oppose – 42 – 10.4%
No opinion – 47 – 11.8% No opinion – 75 – 18.5%
Refused – 2 – 0.4% Refused – 2 – 0.5%
Total – 400/404 participants – 100%
