Majority Of Americans Say Even Churches Should Not Discriminate When Hiring LGBT People

A new poll finds the majority of Americans support no exemptions on any institution, not even churches, when employing LGBT people.

Fifty-five percent of Americans believe no employer, not even a church, should be allowed to discriminate in the employment of LGBT people if a federal law, like ENDA, were passed. A new Harris poll which surveyed over 2500 people found that just 35 percent of Americans think religious institutions, like churches, should be allowed to discriminate on religious grounds. Even less, just three in ten Americans, think privately-held businesses should be allowed to discriminate. 

And about one in five people think publicly held businesses (21 percent) or small businesses (19 percent) should be exempt if they cite religious beliefs.

 

“Americans simply don’t believe that employer exemptions are justified when it comes to basic workplace safeguards for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans,” The Harris Poll reports.

The survey also showed continued support for federal policies that end job discrimination for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals, as well as transgender employees. Two-thirds (65%) of American adults agree that federal law should be expanded to include protection from job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Also, when it comes to protections for transgender employees, more than half (54%) of all adults strongly agree that transgender workers should be treated equally and fairly as all other workers. 

The poll was conducted between September 10 and 17 of 2,543 adults in the U.S., “of whom 2,068 indicated they are heterosexual and 354 self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (which includes an over-sample of gay and lesbian adults).”

 

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Hat tip: Holy Bullies