By Aaron Earls
A new survey reveals some surprising facts about the 4 to 5 percent of Americans who identify as LGBTQ.
Almost half are bisexual. Less than 6 percent say they are transgender. More than 1 in 3 are under 30. And more than 4 in 10 say they are Christian.
Buzzfeed News’ survey conducted by Whitman Insight Strategies asked LGBTQ Americans their thoughts on numerous issues, including religion.
While 39 percent say they have no religious affiliation, 41 percent say they’re Christian—23 percent Protestant and 18 percent Catholic.
Few say they are Jewish (4 percent), Buddhist (3 percent), or Muslim (1 percent). A small number say they’re a different religion than any of those (8 percent).
One in 20 (5 percent) aren’t sure of their religious affiliation.
LGBTQ Americans are also more divided politically than many may assume.
Almost 6 in 10 (59 percent) describe themselves as liberal—31 percent “very liberal” and 28 percent “somewhat liberal.” But 25 percent see themselves as moderate and 11 percent say they are conservative.
Sixty-five percent say they’re Democrats, 21 percent call themselves independent, and 12 percent are Republican.
In the 2016 election, 59 percent voted for Hillary Clinton, 14 percent voted for Donald Trump, and 20 percent said they didn’t vote in the presidential election.
On the religious liberty issue in the news, 16 percent said business owners should be allowed to turn away LGBTQ customers based on religious objections, while 69 percent disagreed and 15 percent were neutral.
In the recent high-profile cases, including the one ruled on by the U.S. Supreme Court, Christian bakers have not asked for the right to refuse any customer.
Rather, they say their objection lies in making a cake specifically for a wedding ceremony that conflicts with their religious beliefs.
Last month, a California judge agreed that distinction was important.
Judge David Lampe said, “No baker may place their wares in a public display case, open their shop, and then refuse to sell because of race, religion, gender, or gender identification. ”
But that is different from creating a special order. “The difference here is that the cake is not yet baked,” wrote Lampe.
