Perhaps we can have some faith in humanity. Caitlyn Jenner’s big unveiling last week on the cover of Vanity Fair has sparked much talk and debate about transgender issues, but for all the chatter, many Americans think that Jenner’s coming out will actually help us make some progress.
An NBC news survey by SurveyMonkey found that many Americans, on a basic level, realize that transgender men and women face discrimination in our society. Of those surveyed, 47 percent said that in the next 10 years, acceptance of transgender people will improve “a little,” while 29 percent said that people will become a lot more accepting. Clearly, many Americans realize there is a long way to go when it comes to society embracing transgender men and women. Only 18 percent believed there would be no change, while only 5 percent thought people would be a little or a lot less accepting.
As for Caitlyn’s cover, 20 percent said it will help a lot with the public’s acceptance of the transgender community while 46 percent said it will help a little and 32 percent said it will not help at all. It seems that Americans have a very positive outlook when it comes to the rest of society embracing transgender men and women.
At the very least, you can say Jenner’s cover has opened up a conversation about transgender issues, and as long as we are talking and learning about the problems these men and women face, there is always the possibility for progress.
[via NBC]
