Majorities of Each Political Party Support LGBT Nondiscrimination Laws
Same-sex couples may now marry legally, but they can still be fired for being gay in 28 states. Many local and state lawmakers are working to update nondiscrimination laws to include protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and such measures would enjoy considerable public support. Roughly seven in ten (69 percent) Americans favor passing laws that would protect LGBT people against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations, and housing.
Despite considerable political disagreements over the issue of same-sex marriage, there is consensus across partisan divides on this issue, with majorities of Democrats (76 percent), independents (68 percent), and Republicans (65 percent) in favor of LGBT nondiscrimination laws. Notably, Democrats are more than twice as likely as Republicans to strongly support such policies (56 percent vs. 24 percent). Roughly four in ten (39 percent) independent Americans say they strongly favor LGBT nondiscrimination laws.
For more, read through the June 2015 PRRI Religion & Politics Tracking Survey and PRRI’s recent blog post on support for same-sex marriage and nondiscrimination laws for LGBT people.