Opinion Poll: Small Business Owners Oppose Denying Services to LGBT Customers Based on Religious Beliefs

Publisher: 
Small Business Majority
Date: 
Monday, July 13, 2015

The topic of religious liberty and how it relates to business practices has been front and center in the media. And once again, small businesses are in the middle of the debate. A national scientific opinion poll conducted for Small Business Majority by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research found entrepreneurs strongly believe small business owners should not be able to refuse goods or services to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) individuals, or to deny services related to the wedding of a same-sex couple, based on an owner’s religious beliefs.

Main Findings

Majority of small businesses believe business owners should not be able to deny goods or services to someone based on their religious beliefs: Two-thirds (66%) of small businesses say business owners shouldn’t be able to deny goods or services to someone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender based on the owner’s religious beliefs. Forty-five percent strongly believe this. Additionally, 55% of Republican small businesses and 62% of Christian small business owners oppose denying goods or services based on an owner’s religious beliefs.

Small businesses believe business owners should not be able to deny goods or services to someone who is LGBT based on the owner’s religious beliefs

Do you believe that a business owner should be able to deny goods or service to someone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender based on the owner's religious beliefs?

Entrepreneurs agree business owners should not be able to deny services related to a wedding for same-sex couples based on the owner’s religious beliefs: Fifty-five percent of small business owners say they do not believe a business owner should be allowed to deny wedding-related services to a same-sex couple based on the owner’s religious beliefs.

Small businesses agree business owners should not be allowed to deny wedding services to a same-sex couple based on the owner’s religious beliefs

Do you believe that a business owner should be able to deny services related to a wedding for same-sex couples based on the owner’s religious beliefs?

Vast majority of small business owners support laws banning discrimination against LGBT people in public accommodations and employment: Eight in 10 entrepreneurs support a federal law to protect LGBT individuals against discrimination in public accommodations, such as restaurants, hotels and other businesses that are open to the public. Nearly half (47%) strongly favor a federal law banning this type of discrimination. 

Small businesses support a federal law to ban discrimination against LGBT people in public accommodations

As you may know, federal law prohibits discrimination in places of public accommodations, such as restaurants, hotels, and other businesses that are open to the public, on the basis of race, national origin, religion, or disability. However, federal law does NOT explicitly protect someone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Would you favor or oppose a federal law protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people from discrimination in places of public accommodations?

Press Release

State(s):