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A survey has revealed a striking upswing of support for the trans community among Americans.

22% of American say they know or work with a trans person, up from 17% last year, in a survey conducted by the Human Rights Campaign. 66% of those people said they felt favourable towards trans people, compared with only 13% who did not.

HRC President Chad Griffin said: “This is powerful testimony to what we in the LGBT community have always known – that the more people who know us, and become familiar with our personal stories, the more supportive they are of inclusion and equality.

“This data tells us that the dramatic increase in the visibility of transgender people in our workplaces, our homes, and in our popular culture has helped propel this growing support of transgender Americans.

“As we celebrate the growing visibility and acceptance of transgender friends, family members and colleagues, we must acknowledge the real risks for transgender people in living authentically.

“It’s imperative that we continue to call for policies that protect people based on their gender identity, and continue our work to ensure that everyone gets a fair shot in our schools, our workplaces, and our communities.”

In September last year, Mr Griffin apologised for the way his organisation had treated trans people in the past.