Most religious groups in the US do not think businesses should be allowed to refuse services to gay people, according to research released on Thursday.
White evangelical Protestants are the only religious group to support businesses' ability to decline LGBT people products or services, the research by PRRI found. But even this subset, traditionally the most ardent on issues of sexuality, is closely divided with 49 per cent in favour of allowing businesses to deny services to gay or lesbian people and 45 per cent opposed.
Every other religious group is opposed including 63 per cent of Catholics, 68 per cent of white mainstream Protestants, 68 per cent of black Protestants, 74 per cent of the religiously unaffiliated and 77 per cent of people belonging to non-Christian religions.
The findings were revealed in the PRRI August 2016 survey. The study questioned 2,014 people between 10-16 August 2016.
It also found that Americans were less likely than ever to see a conflict between same-sex marriage and their own religion.
Even among white evangelical Protestants, who are the most likely to see a conflict, there has been a steady decline with 71 per cent saying they saw a conflict between gay marriage and their beliefs compared to 84 per cent in 2003.
Among black Protestants that figure fell from 66 per cent in 2003 to 50 per cent in 2016 and only 45 per cent of Catholics in 2016 saw a conflict compared to 65 per cent in 2003.
The biggest decline was in white mainline Protestants, 59 per cent of whom saw a conflict in 2003 compared to just 36 per cent in 2016.
The data highlighted a continuing growth in support for same-sex marriage with more Americans than ever before (62 per cent) in favour of allowing LGBT couples to marry. This compared to just three in 10 who say they are opposed.
