Survey: Most US
Catholics support gay rights
by Jessica Geen, from
the Web, March 24, 2011
A study of US Catholics says they are
more supportive of gay rights than the general public and other Christians.
The Public Religion Research Institute study found that almost half (43 per
cent) of Catholics support gay marriage and 56 per cent say gay relationships
are not sinful.
This compares to 37 per cent of the general public who support gay marriage and
46 per cent who say gay relationships are not sinful.
When Catholics were asked if they agreed with ‘civil marriage’ for gay couples,
support levels rose to 71 per cent.
Seven in ten said that religious messages contribute a lot (33 per cent) or a
little (37 per cent) to suicides among LGBT young people.
Seventy-three per cent said they supported protection against employment
discrimination, 63 per cent said gays and lesbians should be able to serve in
the military and 60 per cent said they should be allowed to adopt children. The
general public were less likely to support each of these rights issues.
Only 23 per cent of Catholics said sexual orientation could be changed and they
were significantly more likely to give their church poor marks for its handling
of gay issues compared to other faiths.
Robert P Jones, chief executive of the Public Religion Research Institute, said:
“It may come as a surprise to many that rank and file Catholics are more
supportive of rights for gays and lesbians than other Christians and the public.
“But the best data available paints this consistent portrait across a range of
issues, including same-sex marriage, workplace non-discrimination, open military
service, and adoption rights for gay and lesbian couples.”
The research was compiled from surveys in 2010. It compared the views of the
general population, Catholics and other Christian denominations.
This week, a Vatican official told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that
Catholics were being “vilified” for their views against homosexuality.
“People are being attacked for taking positions that do not support sexual
behavior between people of the same sex,” said Archbishop Silvano M Tomasi, the
Vatican’s representative to the council.
He added: “When they express their moral beliefs or beliefs about human nature,
which may also be expressions of religious convictions, or state opinions about
scientific claims, they are stigmatised, and worse — they are vilified, and
prosecuted.”
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