COLUMBUS – Ohioans are split on their reaction to Caitlyn Jenner’s gender switch, according to a poll released Wednesday morning.
The new poll from Quinnipiac University found 34 percent of adults in Ohio had a “favorable” opinion of Jenner while 32 percent had an “unfavorable” one and 18 percent said they had not heard enough about Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner who has said he plans to live out the remainder of his life as a woman named Caitlyn.
The difference appeared to break down along gender lines, with 43 percent of women, but only 24 percent of men saying they had a
As to whether Jenner’s transition will make society more accepting of transgender people, 57 percent of Ohioans said it won’t change society’s feelings; 30 percent say it will make society more accepting while 7 percent say it will make it less accepting.
“Ohioans in modest numbers see Bruce Jenner’s transition to a woman as a positive step toward shifting society’s views on transgender Americans, but most of the people we surveyed think it will be more of a ripple than a tidal wave of acceptance,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Poll.
Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,376 Ohio adults from June 4 to 15 and the poll had a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percentage points.