Knowg Gays and Lbians, Relig Conflicts, Beliefs about Homosexualy | Pew Rearch Center

Contents:

• SECTN 2: KNOWG GAYS AND LBIANS, RELIG CONFLICTS, BELIEFS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALY
• HOMOSEXUALY: THE UNTRI WHERE IS ILLEGAL TO BE GAY
• RELIGN AND ACCEPTANCE OF GAYS

SECTN 2: KNOWG GAYS AND LBIANS, RELIG CONFLICTS, BELIEFS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALY

Though the vast majory of Amerins say they know gays or lbians, jt over a quarter (28%) say they know “a lot” of people who are gay or lbian, while 43% say they know some and 17% say they only know one or two gays or lbians. While large majori of almost all mographic and partisan groups say they know someone who is gay or lbian, there are differenc both the number of gay and lbian acquatanc people have and whether people say they have close fay members or iends who are gay. Millennials are among the most likely of any mographic or partisan group to say they know a lot of people who are gay or lbian: Nearly four--ten (38%) say so, pared wh fewer Gen Xers (28%), Boomers (22%) and Silents (15%).

There are also divis by muny type: People who live urban areas (32%) are more likely to know a lot of people who are gay and lbian than those who live suburban (27%) or ral (20%) muni. About three-quarters (73%) of those who know a lot of gays and lbians – and two-thirds (66%) of those who have gay or lbian close iends or fay members – say they support same-sex marriage. And nearly half (48%) of Amerins wh many gay acquatanc, and 38% of those who have close iends or fay who are gay, strongly favor allowg gays and lbians to marry legally.

There is far ls support for same-sex marriage among those wh few or no gay or lbian acquatanc, as well as among those who do not have close iends or fay members who are gay or lbian. Jt 32% of those who do not have any gay or lbian acquatanc favor allowg gays and lbians to marry and 58% oppose (30% say they strongly oppose same-sex marriage).

HOMOSEXUALY: THE UNTRI WHERE IS ILLEGAL TO BE GAY

Conflict between relig beliefs and homosexualy is felt particularly strongly by whe evangelil Prottants, about seven--ten (72%) of whom say there is a nflict, cludg 64% who say there is “a lot” of nflict. Six--ten black Prottants say there is eher a lot (48%) or a ltle (12%) nflict between their relig beliefs and homosexualy, while 53% of Catholics feel that their relig beliefs and homosexualy are some nflict (38% say there is a lot of nflict).

When asked about possible reasons why people are gay or lbian, 47% say people are born gay or lbian, while slightly fewer (40%) say ’s jt the way some people choose to live; relatively few (7%) say beg gay or lbian is a rult of a person’s upbrgg. College graduat are far more likely than those wh ls tn to say that people are born gay or lbian: 61% of llege graduat say this, pared wh 46% of those wh some llege experience and 39% of those wh no llege experience.

RELIGN AND ACCEPTANCE OF GAYS

Comparable percentag of Democrats (55%) and pennts (53%) say people are born gay or lbian; about four--ten each group say ’s jt the way some people choose to live (37% of Democrats, 35% of pennts). Overall, 70% of Democrats and 62% of pennts say they do not thk a gay or lbian person’s sexual orientatn n be changed, up ne pots and 14 pots, rpectively, sce 2012. By ntrast, about as many Republins say a gay or lbian person’s sexual orientatn n be changed (45%) as say nnot be changed (47%); views among Republins are ltle changed sce 2012.

Adults wh no relig affiliatn are among the most likely to say that a gay person’s sexual orientatn nnot be changed: 79% exprs this view, while jt 18% say homosexualy n be changed. Most Amerins (57%) say they would not be upset if they had a child who told them he or she was gay or lbian; 39% say they would be upset about this, cludg 17% who say they would be very upset.

By 2000, the share sayg they would be upset about havg a gay child had fallen to 73%, and by 2013 jt 40% said they would be upset if a child of theirs said he or she was gay. However, generatnal differenc reactns to the prospect of a gay child are much wir than opns about whether or not a gay person is born that way, or whether a gay person’s sexual orientatn n be changed. Younger generatns are more acceptg of homosexualy society: 78% of Millennials, 65% of Gen Xers and 55% of Boomers say homosexualy should be accepted, while Silents are spl (45% accepted, 42% disuraged).