Americans Are Not Really Polarised On LGBT+ Equality, New Survey Reveals

People in the U.S. are polarised on many issues, but a new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) has revealed that there is broad support for LGBT+ equality across the country.

The survey found an “overwhelming majority” of respondents favoring inclusive nondiscrimination laws and support for equal marriage rights is as high as it has ever been. The majority of the people participating in the survey are opposed to allowing small businesses to refuse service to LGBT+ customers but this opposition has is decreasing.

“Seventy-two percent of Americans — including majorities of both political parties, religious groups, and nearly every major demographic group — favor laws that would protect LGBT people against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations, and housing,” notes a PRRI press release. The level of support has remained largely stable since PRRI began asking the question in 2011.

“Support for LGBT rights continues to be strong and expansive in all 50 states. Issues that in the recent past demarcated major political and religious fault lines now find broad agreement,” PRRI founder and CEO Robert P. Jones said in the release. “However, this landmark survey also finds some erosion in opposition to allowing business owners to refuse to serve gay and lesbian people based on their religious beliefs.”

Respondents were asked if they strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose the right of small businesses to refuse service to gay and lesbian customers if doing so would violate their religious beliefs.

As the ‘Advocate’ reports, in the latest survey, 56 percent opposed this right. The number has changed moderately over the years, with 59 percent opposed in 2015, 61 percent in 2016, 60 percent in 2017, and 57 percent in 2018. The decline was most pronounced among groups that had generally opposed religiously based refusals, such as young adults and self-identified liberals.

PRRI did not pinpoint a cause for the decline. “Causes for opinion shifts are difficult to identify,” the survey notes. “This policy taps into three distinct areas of opinion that could change over time: Attitudes toward LGBT people, views on how small businesses should be regulated, and religious attitudes.”

Read related myGwork articles here:

Virginia Bans LGBT+ Discrimination Becoming The First Southern State To Do So

New Study Finds Majority of Americans Support Anti-Discrimination Laws For LGBT+

Idaho Governor Signs The USA’s Most Anti-Trans Measures Into Law

Arizona Supreme Court Rules In Favour Of A Business Who Wants To Discriminate Against LGBT+ People

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