In a previous post, I discussed the fact that many corporations have been embracing diversity, and that the company I worked for had implemented policies to protect LGBTQ rights.  Today, I will review the results of a recent poll conducted by Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), which reveals how Americans feel about LGBTQ rights.

The poll is the result of more than 50,000 phone interviews conducted between January 7, 2020 and December 20, 2020.  It shows that 76% of Americans support laws that “would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans from discrimination in jobs, housing, and public accommodation,” while 19% oppose such laws.  It also shows that 34% of Americans strongly support protections against discrimination, while 6% strongly oppose them.  Details about the results are given below.

Politically liberal Americans are more likely to support protections.  Indeed, among Republicans, 73% of liberals, 75% of moderates and 59% of conservatives support protections.  Among independents, 86% of liberals, 81% of moderates and 69% of conservatives support protections.  Among Democrats, 91% of liberals, 83% of moderates and 73% of conservatives support protections.

Younger Americans, more than older ones, tend to favor LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections.  Indeed, 83% of Americans in the 18 to 29 age group support protections, compared to 81% in the 30 to 49 age group, 72% in the 50 to 64 age group and 64% over 65.

The results show that 81% of multiracial Americans, 79% of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (AAPI), 77% of Hispanic Americans, 76% of white Americans, 75% of Black Americans, and 64% of Native Americans favor nondiscrimination protections.

Across racial and ethnic groups, younger Americans are more likely to support protections.  So are women: among multiracial Americans, 86% of women support protections, compared to 76% of men.  While support stands at 80% for white, Hispanic and Black women, it drops to 76% for white men, 74% for Hispanic men and 69% for black men.

The results also show that Americans with four-year college degrees or higher are slightly more likely to support LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections across racial and ethnic groups.

Among all religious groups, support of LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections is higher than 60%.  Specifically, it stands at 79% for Jewish Americans, 81% for Hispanic Catholics, 82% for white mainline Protestants, 82% for religiously unaffiliated Americans, 73% for Black Protestants, 74% for other Catholics of color, 77% for white Catholics, 78% for Mormons, 72% for other Protestants of color, 68% for Hispanic Protestants, and 62% for white evangelical Protestants.

Americans’ opposition to “allowing small businesses to refuse products or services to gay or lesbian people if doing so violates their religious beliefs” declined from 61% in 2016 to 56% in 2019, and climbed back to 61% in 2020. In 2020, 33% of Americans favored allowing a small business to refuse service to gay and lesbian people if doing so violates their religious beliefs.

Among Republicans, opposition to allowing small businesses to refuse to serve gay and lesbian people for religious reasons stood at 42% in 2020, compared to 39% in 2019, 36% in 2018, 40% in 2017 and 42% in 2016.  Independents’ opposition was 63% in 2020, compared to 62% in 2016.  Democrats’ opposition was 73% in 2020, compared to 70% in 2019 and 77% in 2016.

In general, majorities opposing the refusal to serve gays and lesbians were found in most religious groups.  Opposition stood at 60% for white Catholics, 59% for white mainline Protestants, 54% for Hispanic Protestants, 56% for Protestants who are multiracial or another race, and 70% for Black Protestants.  A notable exception was white evangelicals, with 46% in opposition.

The study found that 67% of Americans supported same sex marriage in 2020.  Such support stood at 62% in 2019 and 2018, and 61% in 2017.  It went from 36% in 2007 to 67% in 2020, while opposition decreased from 55% to 27%.

Among Republicans, support for same sex marriage increased from 47% in 2019 to 51% in 2020.  Independents’ support rose from the mid-sixties in recent years to 72%, and Democrats’ support stood at 76% in 2020, compared to 70% in 2019 and 77% in 2018.

Support of same sex marriage was at 76% for non-Christian religious Americans, 75% for white Catholics, 72% for white mainline Protestants, 71% for Hispanic Catholics, 81% for religiously unaffiliated Americans, 57% for Black Protestants, 56% for other Protestants of color, 51% for Hispanic Protestants, 43% for white evangelical Protestants, 49% for Black evangelical Protestants, and 41% for Hispanic evangelical Protestants.

PRRI constructed an index that breaks Americans into 5 categories:

• Completely against pro-LGBTQ policies (oppose same-sex marriage, oppose non-discrimination laws, favor service refusals)
• Somewhat against pro-LGBTQ policies (any two of three: oppose same-sex marriage, oppose non-discrimination laws, favor service refusals)
• Somewhat in favor of LGBTQ policies (any two of three: favor same-sex marriage, favor non-discrimination laws, oppose service refusals)
• Completely in favor of LGBTQ policies (favor same-sex marriage, favor non-discrimination laws, oppose service refusals)
• Don’t know on one or more

It was found that 7% of Americans were in the first (Completely against) category, and 13% were in the second (Somewhat against) category, while 27% were in the third (Somewhat in favor) category, and 42% were in the fourth (Completely in favor) category.

Among the 7% who are completely against Pro-LGBTQ policies, 40% are under 50 years of age, and 60% are above 50.  In that category, 57% are Republicans, 26% Independents and 16% Democrats. Also, in that category, 75% rate former president Trump favorably.  On a racial/ethnic basis, 77% of those who are completely against pro-LGBTQ policies are white (77%), while 10% are Hispanics, 6% Blacks, 3% Asian Americans, 3% multiracial, and 1% Native Americans.

Of those who are completely opposed to pro-LGBTQ policies, 60% are white Christians, broken into white evangelical Protestants (35%), white mainline Protestants (14%), and white Catholics (11%).  The category also includes, in addition to white Christians, Black Protestants (6%), Hispanic Catholics (5%), Hispanic Protestants (3%), other Protestants of color (3%), Jewish Americans (2%), and religiously unaffiliated Americans (14%).

In an article published on April 5, 2021 in The Christian Century, Yonat Shimron discusses the results of the above poll and notes that the broad support of LGBTQ protections among Americans does not necessarily mean support from religious leaders.  He then explains:

“Many evangelical and conservative Christians, such as the Southern Baptist Convention and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, oppose the idea of adding sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes, in addition to those already protected, such as race, color, and national origin.”

In other words, while regular Americans increasingly accept diversity on matters of sexual orientation, their leaders, at least in some of the denominations, do not.  I assume this is because they want to be faithful to the doctrines of their denominations.  Shimron adds that there are Christians who would support LBGTQ protections if there are exemptions for faith-based institutions:

“Other religious groups support broadening the protected classes to sexual orientation and gender identity but oppose the Equality Act, which passed the Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives on February 25, because it lacks sufficient religious exemptions.

The Equality Act would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It would also override the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which prohibits the federal government from ‘substantially burdening’ individuals’ exercise of religion unless there’s a compelling government interest.”

Presumably, those who cannot support the Equality Act might be willing to support an alternative called Fairness for All, which is being introduced in the House.  It apparently provides broad protections to LGBTQ people along with exemptions for religious institutions.  According to Shimron,

“Fairness for All has been championed by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the Seventh-day Ad­ventist Church, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In March, 57 Black clergy, many of whom lead Black denominations, also said they would support Fairness for All.”

One can only hope that the majority of Americans, responding to the impulse to treat their fellow countrymen with decency, will lead the way on this matter, and the more intransigent religious leaders will eventually follow.