Few Americans Want Life Made More Difficult for Gays

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-14/few-americans-want-life-made-more-difficult-for-gays.html


In an era of growing public acceptance of same-sex marriage, few Americans say they’d like to live in a state that makes it more difficult for gay and lesbian couples to wed -- a sentiment that business leaders have factored into an emerging political activism.

That finding in a Bloomberg National Poll follows an attempt by lawmakers in Arizona to let businesses deny service to gays because of religious beliefs.

Only 18 percent of Americans say they’d like to live in a state that makes it tougher on gays to marry, and just 13 percent call it “unfortunate” that two athletes -- a professional basketball player and a college lineman seeking to join the National Football League -- announced they are gay. Almost half say neither much matters to them, the poll shows.

Reaction to the Arizona case in interviews with some of those polled underscores the potential for alienating consumers with anti-gay laws. That’s a concern Apple Inc. (AAPL), Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) and American Airlines Group voiced in urging Governor Jan Brewer last month to kill a bill the legislature passed that opponents said would have let businesses deny service to gays.