FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 1, 2015 INTERVIEWS: Tom Jensen 919-744-6312 IF YOU HAVE BASIC METHODOLOGICAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE E-MAIL
[email protected], OR CONSULT THE FINAL PARAGRAPH OF THE PRESS RELEASE Michigan Voters Support Further LGBT Protections Raleigh, N.C. – With gay marriage legal in Michigan now voters want to take the next step and ban discrimination against LGBT people in employment and housing. 68% support a law making it illegal to fire or deny housing in Michigan because someone is gay, lesbian, or transgender to only 25% who are opposed. 56% of voters say they would 'strongly' support such legislation. There's a bipartisan consensus on the issue with 76% of Democrats, 66% of independents, and 60% of Republican in support. Voters are also quite opposed to two anti-gay GOP legislative efforts going on right now. Only 34% think adoption agencies that receive money from the state should be allowed to deny services to families they say violate their religious beliefs, with 52% saying they should not be allowed to do that. Independents are particularly opposed to that legislation at 29/55. There's even less support for the proposal to make it so that only clergy can perform weddings in the state, making it harder for same sex couples to get married. Only 16% of voters support that to 69% who are opposed and the opposition on that is bipartisan with independents (13/73), Democrats (15/71), and Republicans (22/63) all firmly against it. “Michigan voters are pretty clear- across party lines- that they think discrimination against LGBT people should be illegal,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling.