Arizona is one of five states with measures on the ballot targeting LGBTQ youth.
Arizona’s Proposition 318 expands targeting of existing state law that baselessly bans transgender students from school sports and facilities, efforts that endanger all students.
Facts:
- Transgender youth are at greater risk of sexual assault in restrooms that do not match their gender identity.
- Research shows no evidence of safety risks for cisgender people when trans people use restrooms aligning with their authentic gender.
- Harming someone in a public restroom is already illegal. Bathroom bans, including this measure, often have no guidance on enforcement, and can result in false accusations and harassment.
- Arizona’s legislature passed a bill to ban transgender inclusion in sports in 2022, signed into law by previous Governor Doug Ducey. The National Center for LGBTQ Rights submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court against categorical bans on sports participation: “Like other health or medical considerations in sports, reasonable policies for transgender student athletes rely on individual assessments rather than blanket bans. Every child deserves the chance to play sports with their friends and learn the lessons sports teach, including determination, resilience, and teamwork. Our kids deserve to have the people who know our children best, local school districts and communities, make these decisions on a case-by-case basis.”
- No 318 urges NO on Proposition 318.
- GLAAD ALERT Desk (Anti-LGBTQ Extremism Reporting Tracker): documents incidents nationwide and sorted by state, type of attack, and target:
- Arizona: nearly 60 anti-LGBTQ incidents including seven threats of mass violence, six violent assaults, and two arson attempts in 2025.
- In September 2026, a gunman killed two LGBTQ people at a queer bar in Tucson. The shooter had a list of additional LGBTQ-related targets.
GLAAD polling shows growing support for LGBTQ people in Arizona, including:
- majority concern that anti-LGBTQ legislation is going too far
- worries about the health and safety of LGBTQ people
- A majority of Arizonans support the LGBTQ community (58%), up +1.4pts over the last year
- 67% of Arizonans would be supportive to a friend, relative, or coworker if they came out as LGBTQ
- 63% of Arizonans agree that marriage equality should remain a constitutional right
- 60% of Arizonans say it’s important that communities and schools are safe & welcoming for LGBTQ youth
- 59% of Arizonans support transgender people, up +6.4pts over the last year
- Arizonans are worried about LGBTQ people given the political climate and anti-LGBTQ legislation
- 54% of Arizonans believe that anti-LGBTQ legislation is going too far
- 1 in 2 Arizonans feel the current political climate has me worried about LGBTQ people (49%)
- Note that these numbers were gathered months before the deadly shooting at a Tucson queer bar that killed two LGBTQ patrons.
Overview & Methodology
Source: MRI-Simmons 2026 April LGBTQ and Gender Identity Study (USA); Base: Adults 18+ in Arizona, N=2,336
The findings are from a custom poll GLAAD ran in partnership with MRI-Simmons, conducted between March 16 and April 2, 2026. N=5,010 nationally representative U.S. adults were surveyed online. The results were weighted and fused with the MRI-Simmons USA Study of 102,265 U.S. adults. MRI-Simmons USA Study uses a national probability sample of all 50 states.
All percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number. The margin of error is +/- 1% for the whole sample of adults. The margin of error for sub-samples is larger. Not all percentages may add up to 100% due to rounding.
Unweighted base sizes by state:
N=102,265 U.S. Adults 18+
N=2,336 Arizona residents 18+
