Slight Majority of Americans Find Homosexuality Moral
The pendulum is officially swinging toward acceptance of homosexuality in America. Even churches are allowing gay ministers.
According to a Gallup poll, 54 percent of American adults consider gay or lesbian relations morally acceptable. That number has steadily climbed since 2002, when 38 percent of American adults gave homosexuality the moral nod.
“This Gallup trend mirrors the growth in public support for legalizing gay marriage, which has risen from 42 percent support in 2004 to 50 percent or greater support in the last two years,” Gallup’s Lydia Saad wrote in her report.
What’s more, 63 percent of American adults are now saying gay relations should be legal. That nearly matches the record-high 64 percent of a year ago, according to Gallup. Democrats are more supportive of gay rights, along with nonreligious Americans, the firm reports, and Catholics are more supportive of gay rights than Protestants.
“While public support has been trending upward, support on all three measures was slightly higher in 2011 than in the new 2012 poll, suggesting attitudes may be leveling off–at least for the time being,” Saad wrote.
“However, they are stabilizing at a point that makes President Obama’s decision to publicly support gay marriage much less controversial than it would have been even four years ago. Significant pockets of resistance remain–namely Republicans, those 55 and older, Protestants, residents of the South, and, in some respects, men–but majorities of other groups have grown comfortable with gay rights.”