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Human rights are important to Americans, and most believe in protecting and defending these rights.  Many Americans agree on basic rights, such as equality, freedom from discrimination, and freedom from torture.  As the conversation gets more in-depth, however, beliefs and opinions involving rights become increasingly complex.  Indicative of these complexities are Americans' attitudes toward LGBT and reproductive rights.  Despite consensus that gays and lesbians face a great deal of discrimination, and the profuse declarations of freedom to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," Americans resist granting equal marriage rights.  In addition, a majority of Americans do not want federal dollars to fund abortions as support for the right to an abortion has fallen.  Apprehension around human rights involving these issues seems to be tied to an individual's sense of morality and "traditional family values," according to a recent meta-analysis of public opinion around reproductive justice conducted by The Opportunity Agenda.

Discrimination ►

LGBT Rights ►

Reproductive Justice ►

A Matter of Morality ►

Discrimination Against Gays and Lesbians

The 2009 Annual Religion and Public Life Survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press as part of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, consisted of a national sample of 4,013 adults and was fielded in August of 2009.  The survey found that more than 6 in 10 Americans believe gays and lesbians face a lot of discrimination - more than African Americans, Latinos and women.

"Just your impression, in the United States today, is there a lot of discrimination against [this group], or not?"

Data from the 2009 Annual Religion and Public Life Survey, The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

There is acknowledgement from the population at large that lesbians and gays face a great deal of discrimination, which is perhaps the first step towards achieving equal rights and freedom from discrimination for this group. 

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LGBT Rights

Same-Sex Marriage versus Civil Unions

Where does the American public stand on same-sex marriage, civil unions, and equal rights for gays and lesbians?  Data from the same Pew Survey seems to indicate a conflicted public:

  • 39% of the public support gay marriage
  • a majority - 53% - opposes same-sex marriage
  • a majority - 57% - favors civil unions, when phrased as, "allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into legal agreements with each other that would give them many of the same rights as married couples"
  • almost 1 in 3 of those who oppose gay marriage support civil unions

What makes civil unions more palatable to the public than same-sex marriage - what accounts for the gap of 18 percentage points between those that support same-sex marriage and those that support civil unions?  Are Americans aware of the differences between the right to marriage and the right to join in civil union?  Despite hesitation to apply the word "marriage" to same-sex couples, the public seem to be increasingly positive toward granting the same or similar rights to gay or lesbian couples, as the number of Americans in favor of civil unions has climbed steadily from 45% since October 2003 to 57% in 2009. This positive trend can be viewed as a nudge in the right direction - the direction of equal rights.

Military Service

Despite qualms about sharing the realm of marriage with gays and lesbians, a large majority of the public favor allowing openly gay service members, according to a recent Gallup poll.  Seventy percent of respondents favor "allowing openly gay men and lesbian women to serve in the military," up from 63% in 2003.  Only 1 in 4 Americans oppose this statement. Broad public support on this issue lends itself to building the political will to repeal the controversial "Don't ask don't tell" policy currently in place - a policy that does not bar gays and lesbians from serving, but prevents them from being openly gay if they do serve.  A major issue with the policy is that, even though the intention was to prevent service members from being interrogated on the topic ("don't ask"), a substantial number of troops are still singled-out, harrassed, and discharged for being gay.

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Reproductive Justice

According to Pew's 2009 Annual Religion and Public Life Survey, support for the rigth to an abortion has declined, and the issue is diminishing in importance.  Americans are now evenly divided between those who express abortion should be legal in all or most cases and those who believe it should be illegal in all or most cases - 47% to 45% - and it is one of the few times in the past 15 years that support for legal abortions has dipped below a majority.  In addition:

  • Support for abortion to be legal in all or most cases declined 7 percentage points - from 54% to 47% - from August 2008 to August 2009
  • Respondents who favor making abortions more difficult to obtain gained 6 percentage points during the same time period, although half of respondents oppose this statement
  • 65% of Americans believe it is good to reduce the number of abortions in 2009, up from 59% in 2008

According to a 2009 survey conducted by Mark Mellman for Women Donors Network and Communications Consortium Media Center, 85% of respondents agreed wtih the statement, "sometimes, we just must agree to disagree" in regards to abortion.  One in four, however, would delay the passage of healthcare reform if provisions for abortions were included. 

  • 54% opposed health care reform plans that would prevent insurance from covering abortions, 44% strongly
  • 38% favored health care reform plans that would prevent insurance from covering abortions, 25% strongly
  • 56% agree that individuals receiving government subsidies for health care should be able to purchase plans that include abortion coverage

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The Matter of Morality in Abortion and LGBT Attitudes

The issue remains, however, that a majority of Americans believe marriage should not be legal for same-sex couples; this belief seems to be based on "moral" grounds. The public opinion data from the 2009 Annual Religion and Public Life Survey by Pew indicates that an individual's policy position on civil unions and same-sex marriage are largely influenced by their personal moral values.

Homosexual Behavior is...

Data from the 2009 Annual Religion and Public Life Survey, The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Respondents who believe homosexual behavior is morally impermissible are far more likely to oppose gay marriage and civil unions than those who assert that homosexual behavior is morally acceptable or not a moral issue.

Many respondents strongly connect morality and legality on the issue of abortion as well.  According to the same Pew survey:

  • more than half of respondents - 52% - assert that abortion is morally wrong
  • only 32% believe that abortion is morally acceptable or is not a moral issue
  • 3 in 4 who believe that abortion is not wrong believe that it should be legal in all or most cases
  • almost 70% of those who believe abortion is morally wrong believe it should be illegal in all or most cases
  • 80% respondents who believe abortion should be illegal state that abortion is morally wrong
  • 28% of respondents who believe abortion should be legal state that abortion is morally wrong
  • 60% of respondetns who believe abortion should be legal state that abortion is morally acceptable or is not a moral issue

Religion and education are at odds on the issue of abortion, having almost the opposite effect on opinion, when cited as the factor exerting the greatest influence on a respondents beliefs.  Eighty percent of the respondents who assert religion as the most important factor that moves them believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.  Respondents who are influenced by religion are also the least likely to say there is room for compromise on the issue.  For those who are more influenced by education, almost 3/4 believes abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

According to a new report from The Opportunity Agenda - Public Opinion Research: Meta-Analysis of Public Opinion on Reproductive Justice - religious beliefs greatly influence beliefs around gender roles, sexuality, family and marriage, and have contributed to the politicization of LGBT and reproductive rights.  These issues have been assimilated in to the category of "family values," and nearly 3 in 4 Americans report having "old-fashioned values about family and marriage."

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By Jill Mizell