Poll: 51% of white evangelicals support business' refusal of service to LGBT customers

USA Today/June 5, 2018

By Caroline Tanner

Washington — While a majority of Americans oppose religion-based refusal of service to LGBT customers, most white evangelicals support such measures.

A new Morning Consult poll shows that most Americans (57%) disagreed with businesses refusing to serve customers who identify as LGBT, a day after Monday's Supreme Court decision that the state of Colorado had treated a baker with "religious hostility" for refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding.

Opposition by religious groups included 55% of Catholics, 51% of all Christians and 48% of Protestants. In contrast, 51% of white evangelicals supported such refusals, as did 37% of all Christians, 32% of Catholics and 41% of Protestants also expressed support.

Most Americans oppose religion-based refusal of service to LGBT customers, despite disparity among religious groups and political parties. (Photo: Photo courtesty of Morning Consult.)

This poll surveyed nearly 2,000 adults nationwide from May 25 to 31 and has an error margin of 2 points, predating the Supreme Court's decision on Monday.

In addition to supporting refusals of service, white evangelicals are the only Christian group with a majority (51%) who viewed such refusals as a reinforcement of their religious freedom, compared to 41% of Protestants, 37% of all Christians and 32% of Catholics. 

When asked if they supported allowing small business owners in their state to refuse to provide products or services to LGBT individuals if doing so violates their religious beliefs:

• Christian small business owners: 60% of white evangelicals vs. 43% of Christians overall
• Jewish small business owners: 55% of white evangelicals vs. 41% of Christians
• Muslim small business owners:  46% of white evangelicals vs. 36% of Christians
• Mormon small business owners: 50% of white evangelicals vs. 38% of Christians

Their opposition:

• Christian small business owners: 43% of Christians overall vs. 27% of white evangelicals 
• Jewish small business owners: 43% of Christians vs. 26% of white evangelicals 
• Muslim small business owners: 44 % of Christians vs. 32% of white evangelicals 
• Mormon small business owners: 44% of Christians vs. 30% of white evangelicals 

White evangelicals are the only Christian group whose majority see refusal of service as an expression of religious freedom. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Morning Consult.)

For white evangelicals, religious freedom is not a one-size-fits-all issue, though, and varies based on the type of religion a business owner subscribes to, and they are most supportive (60%) of fellow Christian small business owners.

When asked if they supported allowing small business owners in their state to refuse to provide products or services to LGBT individuals if doing so violates their religious beliefs.

Of all the Christians surveyed, white evangelicals were more likely to say that Christians face discrimination in the United States today (42%), more so than LGBT individuals (32%). More Christians (36%), Catholics (34%) and Protestants (35%) said that LGBT community faces more discrimination than themselves.