A new Bloomberg Politics poll says that 74 percent of Americans “believe that sexual orientation deserves the same constitutional protection from discrimination as race.” Only 18 percent think sexual minorities should remain second-class citizens legally.
A majority thinks same-sex marriage will be legal nationwide in five to 10 years, though only 7 percent thought that status would arrive this year. The U.S. Supreme Court in June thus might surprise 93 percent of Americans. We can hope.
The article about the poll in The Hill didn’t tell the full story in speaking of the controversies over anti-gay religious freedom bills in Arkansas and Indiana. Both states changed original legislation to slightly less punitive forms after public criticism, but Indiana added explicit non-discrimination language while Arkansas did not. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has refused to issue a proclamation or otherwise indicate support for legal protection for LGBT people in employment.