Study Shows Shift in Support for LGBTQ Rights Within Religious Groups

Just a week after the Supreme Court handed down key decisions pertaining to same-sex marriage, Barna Group researchers released a study that shows how much religious groups have shifted toward supporting LGBTQ rights since 2003.

Practicing Protestants were the only major faith group mentioned in the study in which a minority (32 percent) believes laws should be changed to give more freedom to the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community, though even that number is up eight percentage points from a decade ago.

A majority of practicing Catholics (57 percent), those from other faiths (63 percent) and those with no faith (89 percent) also believe LGBTQ people should be given more legal rights. In 2003, by comparison, the only group in which a majority said they should be given these rights were those with no faith (66 percent).