Young people support LGBT rights but disagree on priorities

A new national survey finds that while young people express strong support for marriage equality, they also believe the push for same-sex marriage has diverted too much attention from other important issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals. The study shows that young people differ along racial and ethnic lines in setting priorities for advancing LGBT rights. "Moving Beyond Marriage: What Young People of Color Think about the LGBT Agenda," is the newest report from the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago, reporting on their findings from a nationally representative survey of 1,500 young people between the ages of 18 and 30, and conducted in June 2014. The sample includes young people from all sexual identities. The report is co-authored by Cathy J. Cohen, the David and Mary Winton Green Professor and chair, Political Science; and Jon C. Rogowski, assistant professor, Political Science at Washington University, St. Louis. In contrast to white youth, who identified same-sex marriage as the top priority for LGBT organizations, black and Latino youth showed more concern about other issues, such as HIV/AIDS, bullying, equal employment rights and violence against LGBT individuals. Large majorities of all groups agreed that the LGBT community is subject to discrimination, and supported policies to advance LGBT rights.