Survey Finds Most Americans Oppose Anti-Gay Businesses

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On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Colorado baker Jack Phillips, who sparked controversy when he petitioned for his right to discriminate against gay couples on the basis of religion. In response, Reuters and Ipsos issued the results of a poll that shows most Americans would likely not issue the same ruling as the Supreme Court.

The poll found that 72 percent of respondents did not believe business owners could refuse service to gay customers based on their own religious beliefs. Fourteen percent of respondents believed that religious business owners had the right to refuse service, while nine percent said they had the right “only in certain circumstances” and six percent were undecided.

To be fair, the Supreme Court decision falls more in the “certain circumstances” category, as a statement from Justice Anthony Kennedy took care to clarify that their ruling mainly stemmed from findings that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had undermined laws against religious discrimination. “The outcome of cases like this in other circumstances must await further elaboration in the courts,” Kennedy wrote.

Still, to-may-to, to-mah-to—it looks like 72 percent of Americans would still say homophobia is homophobic, even if the discriminating business owner has an extra-special excuse.