Most Americans don’t think that businesses should have a religious right to discriminate, a poll found.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted this past week found that 72% of Americans said that business owners should not be allowed to cite their religious beliefs as a justification for refusing LGBTQ customers, while 14% said that they had that right. The remaining 15% said “only in certain circumstances” or that they did not know.
The poll was conducted in the days just before the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a baker who refused to sell a wedding cake to a same-sex couple, citing his religious beliefs.
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In a separate question, Reuters/Ipsos asked people if businesses “never have the right to deny services to customers.” 57% of people agreed with that, and 19% believed businesses “always have the right to deny services.”
So while there is a small difference in the percent of the population that thinks it’s OK to refuse service for any reason or just to LGBTQ customers for religious reasons, about 15% of people say “no” to refusing service to LGBTQ people but still think that there are legitimate reasons to sometimes refuse service.
The poll also found that 53% of respondents support marriage equality. A recent Gallup Poll found that 67% of Americans support marriage equality.
