BY BTL STAFF
WASHINGTON D.C. — A new poll conducted by Reuters between April 6 and 8 has found that 52 percent of the American population supports allowing same-sex couples to marry, a complete wash of the 32 percent who oppose it, the poll reports.
Survey results suggest that the country is overwhelmingly in favor of having LGBT-protections against Religious Freedom Restoration Acts that are sweeping the country in response to the rising support for same-sex marriage.
Fifty-four percent of the 892 individuals polled said it was wrong for businesses to refuse services to LGBT identified individuals, while only 28 percent said they should have that right. And 55 percent said businesses should not have the right to refuse to hire certain people or groups based on the employer's religious beliefs, while 27 percent held the opposite belief that businesses should have the right to use discriminatory tactics during the hiring process. Support for ensuring LGBT Americans had access to public spaces stood at 83 percent in contrast to 15 percent opposed.
Michigan does not currently have statewide protections for LGBT identified people. Gov. Snyder recently issued a statement saying that he would veto any RFRA bill that doesn't include LGBT protections that falls on his desk.
Reuters findings are consistent with national surveys commissioned by the ABC/Washington Post in 2014 that found voters strongly rejected the idea that businesses should be able to discriminate against LGBT customers. This also lines up with findings from a Greenberg Quinlan Rosner survey conducted for the Human Rights Campaign, which found 69 percent of voters support marriage equality, a figure that crosses partisan and demographic lines.
