---
title: "3. Views of how much discrimination transgender people, gay and lesbian people, women and men face in the U.S."
description: "Nearly eight-in-ten Americans (77%) say there is a lot of (48%) or some (30%) discrimination against transgender people in society. And seven-in-ten Americans say there is a lot of or some discrimination in society against people who are gay or lesbian. Read the overview of this report for Americans’ views of all 20 groups asked […]"
date: "2025-05-20"
authors:
  - name: "Reem Nadeem"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/05/20/views-of-how-much-discrimination-transgender-people-gay-and-lesbian-people-women-and-men-face-in-the-u-s/"
categories:
  - "Black Americans"
  - "Demographics & Politics"
  - "Discrimination & Prejudice"
  - "Gender & LGBTQ"
  - "Hispanics/Latinos"
  - "Islam"
  - "Judaism"
  - "Partisanship & Issues"
  - "Political Issues"
  - "Racial Bias & Discrimination"
---

# 3. Views of how much discrimination transgender people, gay and lesbian people, women and men face in the U.S.

Nearly eight-in-ten Americans (77%) say there is a lot of (48%) or some (30%) discrimination against transgender people in society. And seven-in-ten Americans say there is a lot of or some discrimination in society against people who are gay or lesbian.

[![Chart shows A declining share of Republicans say gay and lesbian people in the U.S. face discrimination](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/05/PP_2025.5.20_discrimination_03-01.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=239239)

*Read the *[*overview*](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/05/20/how-much-discrimination-do-americans-say-groups-face-in-the-u-s/)* of this report for Americans’ views of all 20 groups asked about on the survey.*

Nearly two-thirds (64%) say women face at least some discrimination, while far fewer (34%) say men face a lot of or some discrimination.

There are wide partisan differences in these views:

#### People who are gay or lesbian

- Republicans and GOP leaners are now less likely to say people who are gay or lesbian face at least some discrimination (50%) than in 2021 (59%) or 2017 (64%).

- Democrats and Democratic leaners (90%) overwhelmingly continue to say people who are gay or lesbian experience a lot of or some discrimination.

#### People who are transgender

About nine-in-ten Democrats (91%) and six-in-ten Republicans (63%) say people who are transgender face at least some discrimination. Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say transgender people experience *a lot* of discrimination (70% vs. 26%). This is the first year that discrimination against transgender people in U.S. society was asked about in this list.

***Related:*** *[The Experiences of LGBTQ Americans Today](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2025/05/29/the-experiences-of-lgbtq-americans-today/)*

#### Women and men

- Nearly twice as many Americans say women face at least some discrimination in society than say this about men (64% vs. 34%, respectively).

- Democrats (80%) continue to be much more likely than Republicans (47%) to say *women *face a lot of or some discrimination.

- By contrast, Republicans (42%) are more likely than Democrats (27%) to say *men* face these levels of discrimination.

- These views have not changed much in recent years.

**Women are more likely than men to say women in society face a lot of or some discrimination, and this pattern holds within each party.**

[![Chart shows About half of Republican men say men in the U.S. face discrimination; fewer say the same about women](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/05/PP_2025.5.20_discrimination_03-02.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=239240)

Nearly three-quarters of women (72%) say there is at least some discrimination against women, while a narrower majority of men (54%) say the same. There are gender differences in both parties, but they are more pronounced among Republicans.

- 85% of Democratic women and 74% of Democratic men say women face at least some discrimination.

- A smaller majority of Republican women (57%) say women face discrimination, while 38% of Republican men say the same.

The pattern is reversed for views of discrimination against men:

- 51% of Republican men say men in society face at least some discrimination.

- Much smaller shares of Republican women (31%), Democratic men (28%) and Democratic women (26%) have the same view.

---

**Next:** [Acknowledgments](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/05/20/discrimination-2025-acknowledgments.md)