Most Floridians support LGBT nondiscrimination laws and don’t think businesses should be allowed to refuse to serve LGBTs based on religious beliefs.
That’s according to a new poll by the non-partisan Public Religion Research Institute, based on 42,000 interviews to explore attitudes in all 50 states ahead of legislative battles in 2016.
The survey finds a resounding 70 percent of Floridians support laws that would protect LGBTs against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations and housing. That’s just shy of 71 percent of Americans nationwide who agree.
The Institute also finds that 58 percent of Floridians oppose allowing a business owner to refuse products or services to LGBTs if doing so violates their religious beliefs. About six out of 10 Americans – 59 percent – oppose religious-based refusals of service.
“Despite the fact that there are 28 states that have no LGBT nondiscrimination laws, there is near consensus support—across partisan, religious, geographic and demographic lines—for laws that would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans from discrimination in jobs, housing and public accommodations,” said PRRI CEO Robert P. Jones in a media release. “Even among groups that are more opposed to same-sex marriage, solid majorities nonetheless favor LGBT nondiscrimination laws.”
The survey is part of PPRI’s 2015 American Values Atlas.
