Arkansans Support ENDA, Poll Shows

Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin returned to his home state on Monday to unveil a new survey that discovered widespread support for employment nondiscrimination protections in Arkansas, according to HRC.

"The Court's historic rulings point to the emergence of two Americas," said Griffin in a statement Monday. "In one America, LGBT people are achieving more equality under the law than ever before. In the other America -- places like Arkansas -- LGBT people are still struggling to gain equal protections and benefits. But we can draw hope from these new poll numbers -- Arkansans by and large reject discrimination against their friends and loved ones; and the younger generation is fully on-board with marriage."

The survey, conducted by left-leaning Greenbert Quinlan Rosner Research and conservative Target Point Consulting between June 26 and 30, also found that 63% of Arkansans under the age of 30 support marriage equality -- a percentage generally consistent with national averages of young people supporting the freedom to marry.

The survey also uncovered a vast misunderstanding -- 82% of those surveyed mistakenly believed that federal law currently protects LGBT people from employment discrimination. And 90% of people of faith in Arkansas agree that the "Golden Rule" -- do unto others as you'd have them do unto you -- extends to LGBT people. Arguably connected to that statistic is the finding that almost 70% of Arkansans support comprehensive antibullying laws that would specifically protect LGBT youth.

While in his home state, Griffin will also participate in a panel discussion at the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas, where he'll discuss the recent landmark rulings in favor of marriage equality at the Supreme Court, according to HRC. Find more information on the poll's results here.