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Support for Gay and Lesbian Americans Emerges Among Protestant Clergy

Mainline Protestant clergy are broadly supportive of equality for gay and lesbian Americans, according to a report released by some of the nation's leading researchers on religion and politics. Their conclusions are based on the most in-depth study ever conducted of theological and political attitudes among Mainline clergy toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues in the church and society.

Among the survey's findings:

• On a range of policy issues, Mainline Protestant clergy are generally more supportive of LGBT rights than the general population, and mostly in line with Mainline Protestants overall. Two-thirds of Mainline clergy support hate crimes legislation (67%) and workplace protections for gay and lesbian people (66%), and a majority (55%) supports adoption rights. Same-sex marriage is the only major LGBT public policy issue that does not enjoy majority support from Mainline clergy; on this issue, one-third supports same-sex marriage and another third supports civil unions.


• Support for same-sex marriage increases significantly when clergy were provided with an assurance that no church or congregation would be required to perform same-sex marriage services against its beliefs. With this religious liberty assurance, support among clergy jumped from one-third support to nearly half (46%), a movement of 13 points.

"Mainline clergy are generally more supportive of equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans than the general public," said Dr. Robert P. Jones, president of Public Religion Research, which conducted the study. "Clergy in these denominations have wrestled with theological questions around sexuality and report that they've been moving toward more supportive positions on equal rights in society and full inclusion in the church."