Nearly three quarters of American
adults oppose businesses refusing to serve gay men and lesbians based
on the owner's religious beliefs.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion
poll released Monday, 72 percent of respondents said that businesses
whose owners are opposed to LGBT rights based on their religious
beliefs should not be allowed to refuse to serve gay and bisexual men
and lesbians.
The poll was released on the same day
that the Supreme Court sided with a Colorado baker who refused to
bake a wedding cake for a gay couple. The high court's ruling was
narrow in scope and appeared to only apply to this case.
(Related: Supreme
court narrowly sides with baker who refused gay couple.)
Pollsters found that 14 percent of
respondents believe that business owners, because of their religious
beliefs, have the right to refuse service based on sexual
orientation. Nine percent said the right existed in “certain
circumstances,” while 6 percent said they do not know.
The poll also found a majority of
Americans (53%) support extending marriage rights to gay couples, up
11 percent from a 2013 Reuters/Ipsos poll.