It seems we're finding that the religious right doesn't speak for the majority of Americans, the majority of Republicans, the majority of conservatives, or even the majority of Christians. Every group in America, Democrats and Republicans, Christians and non-Christians, Protestants, Catholics, and even self-described conservatives all give their majority support for the adding sexual orientation to the already-existing federal hate crimes law.
That's rather amazing data, especially since George Bush's staff is threatening a possible veto. (Is it any coincidence that that Bush's approval rating is at 28% and the percentage of Americans who oppose the bill is 27%? Bush is governing for only 27% of the American people, for the fringe of his own party.)
These results may be news to a lot of the media, and especially politicians in Washington, who give the religious right far more credit than they deserve. They are fringe extremists who don't even represent most Christians, let alone most Americans.
PRINCETON, NJ -- A substantial majority of the American public favors the expansion of federal hate crime legislation to include crimes against people based on their gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity....
A May 10-13, 2007, national Gallup Poll included two questions about federal hate crime laws. The first asked about the current federal law that covers hate crimes committed on the basis of the victim's race, color, religion, or national origin. Almost 8 out of 10 Americans say they support the current legislation....
The second question asks about the expansion of the hate crime legislation to include the victim's gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Support for the expansion is somewhat lower [68%] than support for the existing law, but still very substantial....
Much of the organized opposition to the expansion of the hate crime law has come from conservative religious groups, while the nation's top Republican leader, President George W. Bush, has suggested he will veto the legislation if it reaches his desk. But there is little evidence from these data to suggest that a majority of Republicans, conservatives, or more religious Americans are opposed to the new law.
