Exclusive: LGBTQ youth overwhelmingly distrust police, support BLM
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More than 70% of LGBTQ youth say they have little to no trust in police, especially among Black LGBTQ and trans and/or non-binary, according to a Morning Consult/Trevor Project poll out Friday.
The big picture: Several "Black Trans Lives Matter" rallies emerged in cities across the U.S. this summer acknowledging racism within the LGBTQ+ community and injustices among law enforcement.
- 38-year-old Tony McDade was killed by Tallahassee, Florida, police just two days after George Floyd died.
By the numbers: LGBTQ youth and those with multiple identities had a greater amount of distrust in police compared to straight/cisgender youth.
- 77% of trans and/or non-binary youth and 75% of Black LGBTQ youth surveyed little-to-no trust in the police.
- 47% of straight/cisgender youth and only one-fourth of white straight/cisgender youth shared the same sentiment.
Why it matters: Support for Black Lives Matter is high among all young people, with the highest backing among LGBTQ youth, then straight/cisgender youth, per the report.
- Young Americans have long challenged the status quo and driven change — often meeting law enforcement in the streets.
What they're saying: "I think that the findings are clear that young people care about justice, young people care about respect and safety for all people regardless of their identity," Trevor Project CEO Amit Paley tells Axios.
- "Young people want to see a better world and young people are frustrated by institutions and systems that are leading to injustice for many parts of the country and parts of the community," Paley said.
Methodology: The findings are based on a national sample of 1,200 young people between the ages of 13-24 between July 21-29. The sample sizes for their gender identities varied and had a margin of either error of ± 4 percentage points or ± 7 percentage points.
