• ELIXHER
• On August 7, 2014

By Ashleigh Atwell

In the wake of recent same-sex marriage victories in Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio (a judge has ruled in favor of the freedom to marry in all four states), the Black Youth Project has released a study detailing millennial opinions of LGBT policy priorities. The survey showed that most young people are supportive of LGBTQ rights but people of color and white participants differ on what issues should be prioritized.

According to the survey:

• Black (80.2 percent) and Latino (74.9) millennials believe same-sex marriage receives too much attention compared their white counterparts (64 percent).
• People of color are more supportive of transgender rights. Black people were the most supportive of sensitivity training for police regarding trans issues at 77.8 percent compared to Latino youth at 73.2 percent and white youth at 66.2 percent. Additionally, Black and Latino youth were more supportive of health insurance coverage for transgender health issues (64.5% and 65.8%, respectively) than white youth (56.3%).
• Each group had different opinions on what issues should get the most attention. Black participants believe HIV/AIDS should be prioritized while Latino participants believed bullying was the most pressing issue and white participants wanted to keep the spotlight on same-sex marriage.

This survey was completed in June 2014 after BYP surveyed 1,500 people between the ages of 18 and 30 years old. To see the rest of the survey results, click here.

Ashleigh is a writer, student and organizer based in Atlanta, GA. Her words have appeared in various publications including For Harriet, Black and Married with Kids.com and Atlanta Black Star. Ashleigh has been writing and blogging for six years and AnotA is the one that stuck and it has exceeded her expectations with over 51,000 views and shout outs in Clutch Magazine and XoJane. As the blog approaches its second anniversary, Ashleigh hopes to keep the momentum going with new content and other related projects. When she isn’t writing on the train, she is nurturing BlackOUT, the LGBT organization for students of color at Georgia State and being a bomb ass waitress.

*Image courtesy of Fenway Health