Religious discrimination: Texans oppose refusing to serve LGBT people
Austin, Texas: Most Texas voters believe business owners should not be allowed to refuse service to LGBT people, even if they have religious objections to homosexuality, according to a poll released Thursday.
The Quinnipiac University Poll results on refusing to serve LGBT people were significant in light of the recently completed session of the Texas Legislature, which included more than a dozen Republican-filed "religious refusal" bills that sought to protect people from government interference for following their faith - particularly religious opposition to same-sex marriage.
Only one of those bills made it to Republican Governor Greg Abbott, however. Senate Bill 1978, which was rewritten to bar government action against people or businesses based on their support for religious organisations after fast food chain Chick-fil-A was denied space at the San Antonio airport over corporate leaders' opposition to gay marriage, among other issues.
The poll asked two related questions:
- Should businesses be allowed to refuse service to someone based on their sexual orientation or sexual identity?
By a strong majority, 71 per cent of Texas voters said no; only 22 per cent said yes.
Every distinct group was opposed, including Republicans (52 per cent), Democrats (89 per cent), women (77 per cent), men (63 per cent), white evangelicals (50 per cent), Protestants (63 per cent), Catholics (76 per cent), college educated (67 per cent) and those without a college degree (64 per cent).
Respondents of every age range and race were opposed as well.
"Texans, by more than 3-1, back the liberal stance that prioritises consumer rights. Every listed group feels that way," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac poll.
- If homosexuality violates a business owner's religious beliefs, should they be allowed to refuse service to someone based on their sexual orientation or sexual identity?
With religion introduced into the equation, a majority still opposed the concept, but it fell to 58 per cent - with 35 per cent saying it should be OK to refuse service.
Every distinct group opposed faith-based refusal to serve LGBT people except for those in four categories - Republicans (57 per cent in favour), white men (50 per cent), white evangelicals (63 per cent) and those who attend religious services weekly (45 per cent in favour, with 44 per cent opposed).
When asked about abortion, 57 per cent of respondents favoured Roe v. Wade, including 80 per cent of Democrats, 67 per cent of independents, 60 per cent of women and 54 per cent of men.
On the other hand, opposition was stronger among Republicans (57 per cent), white evangelicals (61 per cent) and those who attend religious services weekly (60 per cent).
The mobile phone and landline poll of 1159 Texas voters, conducted from May 29 to June 4, had a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points, Quinnipiac said.
It also found widespread support for raising the legal age for tobacco products from 18 to 21, as well as majority support for Roe v. Wade, the 1973 US Supreme Court ruling that established a right to abortion, although opinions varied widely according to religious and political affiliations.
Austin American-Statesman