Religions' Acceptance of Gays and Lesbians Increases

While news stories often note churches' increasing openness to gays and lesbians, a Duke University study offers numbers to confirm that trend.

Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.

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Trudy Ring

September 13 2014 5:00 AM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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U.S. religious congregations' openness to gays and lesbians as members and leaders has increased substantially in recent years, according to a new Duke University study.

The latest set of data in Duke's ongoing National Congregations Study showed a notable increase from 2006 to 2012, the university announced Thursday -- essentially confirming a trend observed in news reports.

In 2012, 48 percent of the congregational leaders surveyed said a gay or lesbian couple in a committed relationship would be welcomed as full-fledged members, up from 37.4 percent in 2006. The proportion of congregations that open all volunteer positions to out gays and lesbians increased from 17.7 percent to 26.4 percent.

"The increasing acceptance of gays and lesbians is a well-known trend in America," said study director Mark Chaves, a professor of sociology at Duke, in a press release. "Churches are no exception."

The greatest progress in the period came in black Protestant churches, white liberal churches, and non-Christian congregations, offsetting a decrease in acceptance in Catholic congregations and a mixed record in conservative white Protestant churches, which indicated increased acceptance of gays and lesbians as members but not as volunteer leaders.

The study's findings come from interviews with representatives of 1,331 American churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and other houses of worship. In addition to acceptance of gays and lesbians, it covers trends in racial diversity, style of worship, denominational affiiliation, and congregation size. Researchers previously announced results from 2006 and 1998.