Voters in the swing states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania are divided on whether transgender people should be allowed to use the public restroom of their choice — but a majority in each state agree the government should stay out of it, a new poll shows.
The Quinnipiac University Swing State survey released Thursday tests the issue on the three states because since 1960, no candidate has won the presidential race without taking at least two of the three.
The White House in May issued a
directive to public schools nationwide, saying they must allow students to sue the bathroom facility that corresponds with their gender identity.
In a breakdown in the swing states, the poll finds:
- In Florida: 48 percent support the freedom for transgender people to choose a bathroom while 44 percent oppose it; 54 percent oppose the government requiring public schools to extend that right, while 37 percent support the extension.
- In Ohio, 43 percent support the freedom for transgender people to choose a bathroom; 48 percent oppose it; 55 percent oppose a federal directive for public schools, while 36 percent support it.
- In Pennsylvania, 49 percent support the freedom for transgender people to choose a bathroom; 43 percent oppose it; 53 percent oppose a federal directive for public schools, while 39 percent would support that.
"The issue of transgender people and the use of public bathrooms finds voters split on exactly what should be done," Peter Brown, assistant director of the poll, said in a statement.
"Voters in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania oppose the federal government order to public schools that they must let transgender students use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify. But they are split roughly evenly on whether these students should be able to use whatever bathroom they choose," Brown added.
The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points in Florida, 3.1 percentage points in Ohio and 3.2 percentage points in Pennsylvania.
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