NEW YORK – As millions of people arrive in New York City to celebrate 50 years of victories in the gay rights movement, a new poll shows that young people are growing less tolerant of the LGBTQ community.
The Harris poll, on behalf of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, known as GLAAD, shows the number of straight Americans ages 18 to 34 who are comfortable interacting with LGBTQ people went down from 63 percent in 2016 to 45 percent in 2018.
"I think our country is very polarized right now," one person in NYC to celebrate Pride said.
Some people who spoke to Local 10's Christian De La Rosa Thursday said they aren't too surprised.
"Maybe the current political climate is allowing space for people who've had these opinions to be more vocal about them and we just haven't come as far as we thought we did," Shayan Hosseinzadeh said.
When it comes to rights for Americans who identify as transsexual, a Pew Research Center poll shows that 39 percent of Americans say enough has been done.
Trans activists say that isn't the case, pointing to the Trump administration policies against LGBTQ Americans, including a ban on trans men and women serving in the military.
"He's created another, 'Don't ask, don't tell,'" said Monica Helms, a transgender activist and U.S. Navy veteran. "You know, 'You can be trans. Just don't show it.' Well, that's a bunch of BS as far as I'm concerned."