More Than 6 of 10 LGBT Americans Oppose Arizona's Immigration Policies

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, June 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With Arizona's controversial new state immigration law due to go into effect this July, a recent national survey reveals that a clear majority of 63% of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) individuals oppose these policies, with 45% expressing strong opposition.

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In sharp contrast, and as in other national opinion polls, 6 out of 10 (60%) heterosexual adults who also have seen, read or heard about Arizona's forthcoming statute say they support Arizona's new immigration policies, with 41% saying they strongly support these changes.

The national survey of 2,698 U.S. adults, (ages 18 and over), of whom 335 self identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender, was conducted online between May 10 and May 17, 2010, by Harris Interactive, a global market research and consulting firm, in conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., a strategic public relations and marketing communications firm with special expertise in the LGBT market.

These polarized opinions also appear to influence consideration for Arizona as a future travel destination.  Among the LGBT respondents who have seen, heard or read about the new law, 43% say they would be less likely to travel to the state for leisure, and 36% said they would be less likely to travel there for convention gatherings.  Thirty-two percent (32%) of LGBT adults also added that they would be less likely to travel to Arizona for other business purposes.

Heterosexuals, however, are less likely to feel this way.  Less than one in four (23%) say they would be less likely to travel to Arizona for leisure, with 18% noting they would be less likely to travel there for a convention.  Finally, 17% said they would likely avoid Arizona for other business travel.  Additionally, the relatively small percentages of heterosexuals who said they would be "more likely" to travel to Arizona because of the new immigration policy further underscores anxieties for Arizona's business and hospitality interests in general; only 23% of heterosexuals express greater interest in traveling to the state for leisure, 15% say the same for convention purposes and 14% say so for business interests.  As Allison Powell, Research Director at Harris Interactive explains: "While the tourism business is starting to show a glimmer of recovery, the backlash from certain segments of the population, coupled with fears of group cancellations, does not bode well for Arizona's economy.  The question remains – will this backlash continue into and past the summer, or will immigration conflicts become less of a hot button as time passes?"

Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs Communications highlights the differences seen between heterosexual and LGBT respondents.  He explains:  "it's not surprising that many LGBT individuals are opposed to many forms of statutory discrimination.  As citizens and consumers, LGBT behaviors mirror these attitudes – tending to favor and choose destinations, products and services, as well as making political choices that support equal and respectful treatment for all."

In addition to the wide gaps identified among Americans according to their sexual orientation and gender identity, the new findings also mirror partisan affiliation distinctions as well.  Individuals who identify as Democrats by affiliation, for instance, oppose the Arizona immigration policies too by similar marks – with 59% expressing opposition and just 33% expressing support.  This contrasts sharply with Republican views which show over 8 out of 10 (83%) support the Arizona law, with just 11% opposing it.  Most independents also support the Arizona policy by 69% to 26%.  

The new survey also provides further evidence that LGBT adults disproportionately align with the Democratic Party by interest or affiliation – with 51% of LGBT adults reporting currently that they are Democrats, while 28% disclose they are Independent and only 5% say they are aligned with the Republican Party.

Methodology

Harris Interactive conducted the study online within the United States between May 10 and 17, 2010, among 2,698 adults (ages 18 and over), of whom 335 self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender. We over-sampled gay men and lesbians in order to allow for more detailed analysis of these groups.

Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. In addition, the results for the gay and lesbian sample were weighted separately based on profiles of the gay and lesbian population that Harris Interactive has compiled through many different online surveys. Propensity score weighting also was used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visit http://www.harrisinteractive.com.

About Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc.

Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. is the nation's premier marketing communications and consulting firm, specializing in developing and implementing effective strategies reaching the gay and lesbian consumer market. With over 16 years experience in this unique market, Witeck-Combs Communications not only serves as a bridge between corporate America and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender consumers (LGBT), but also provides counsel to countless non-profit organizations that aim to educate the public on gay and lesbian issues or to better reach their LGBT membership.  

In April 2003, American Demographics magazine identified Bob Witeck and Wes Combs as two of 25 experts over the last 25 years who have made significant contributions to the fields of demographics, market research, media and trendspotting for their path breaking work on the gay and lesbian market, and in 2006 Bob Witeck and Wes Combs co-authored Business Inside Out: Capturing Millions of Brand Loyal Gay Consumers (Kaplan Publishing), considered the first-ever book on marketing insights, practical tips and strategies targeting the LGBT market. They have appeared in worldwide media outlets including Fortune, CNBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, Ad Age, New York Times and Washington Post. For more information visit www.witeckcombs.com.

SOURCE Harris Interactive