In a recent piece for Salon, PRRI Public Fellow Eric McDaniel writes of how the Republican National Convention was meant to “harken back to a perceived golden age” in society, before the rights of racial minorities, women, and LGBTQIA Americans were recognized. “During the Republican National Convention, speakers humbly prostrated themselves at the foot of white masculinity, arguing that the rejection of a white male savior would be our ruin,” McDaniel writes. McDaniel points to PRRI data from 2016 that shows that 25% of white Americans believe diversity as a society has come at their expense and that society has become too soft and feminine. The overwhelming majority (93%) of the two-party vote among whites who agree with those statements went to Trump.

According to PRRI data, more than six in ten (62%) Americans say they have become more supportive toward transgender rights compared to their views five years ago. By contrast, about one-quarter (25%) say their views are more opposed compared to five years ago. Despite increased support, transgender individuals still face many challenges in the United States. Trans Lifeline, a crisis hotline for transgender people, run by transgender people, looks to help where they can. This task has only grown greater throughout the pandemic. “The need to social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic creates new pressures, amplifying the sense of isolation and loneliness. Calls in which people describe suicidal thoughts to operators have increased 89% since March,” reports The Los Angeles Times.

PRRI data from 2019 shows nine in ten (91%) Americans believe the country is divided over politics, with 74% of Americans saying the country is very divided. Republicans and Democrats are slightly more likely than independents to say that the country is very divided over politics (79%, 77%, and 69%, respectively). In The Washington Post, Nancy Gibbs encourages responding patiently to people who once supported President Donald Trump when they announce they no longer support him. “No one will ever be persuaded to your cause if you deride their character and dismiss their dignity,” Gibbs writes. “As it is, too many politicians love to make us hate each other, and too many of us find comfort and company in our shared derision. But if we can close the gap, maybe we can talk.”