Believers have changed their tune since marriage equality was made legal in the U
A majority of US Muslims now support marriage equality.
Over 40,000 Americans from across the US have been surveyed on social issues, and people of faith have improved their views on LGBTI rights.
The Public Religion Research Institute’s 2017 American Values Atlas found despite continued opposition from leaders, believers are more relaxed about gay people marrying.
The Supreme Court legalized marriage equality across all 50 states in 2015.
Majority of religious groups, including Muslims, support same-sex marriage
‘Most religious groups in the US now support same-sex marriage, including overwhelming majorities of Unitarians (97%), Buddhists (80%), the religiously unaffiliated (80%), Jewish Americans (77%), and Hindus (75%),’ the PRRI said.
‘Roughly two-thirds of white mainline Protestants (67%), white Catholics (66%), Orthodox Christians (66%), and Hispanic Catholics (65%) also favor same-sex marriage.
‘A slim majority of Muslims (51%) favor same-sex marriage, but only 34% are opposed; 15% offer no opinion on this issue.’
Those who oppose marriage equality has drastically decreased.
PRRI said: ‘Black Protestants have moved from solid opposition to a plurality of support for same-sex marriage. In 2013, nearly six in ten (57%) black Protestants opposed same-sex marriage.
‘Today just 43% oppose it, compared to nearly half (48%) who support it. Hispanic Protestants have moved from solid opposition to same-sex marriage to being divided over the policy.
‘In 2013, nearly two-thirds (65%) of Hispanic Protestants opposed same-sex marriage. Today, 43% favor the policy, compared to 45% who oppose it and 13% who offer no opinion.’
Only white evangelicals oppose marriage equality
The only groups that oppose are white evangelicals.
58% of white evangelicals oppose same-sex marriage, alongside 53% of Mormons and 63% of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Overall, 61% of Americans support equal marriage according to the poll, with majority support in 44 of the 50 states.
Only Alabama had a clear majority opposed to same-sex marriage.
However, support was still under 50% in Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia, Louisiana, and North Carolina.
Seven in 10 of Americans favor non-discrimination laws protecting LGBTI people, and 23% of Americans oppose them.
