British public back politicians’ right to say “Gay sex is a sin”

– Two thirds back politicians’ right to say “gay sex is a sin”
– Only supporters of the SNP oppose this right

The British public backs the right of politicians like Lib Dem leader Tim Farron to say that “gay sex is a sin”, finds a new survey.

The survey carried out by ComRes for The Christian Institute found a clear majority supported the right of politicians with traditional views to express them.

Asked, “If a politician believes that gay sex is a sin they should be free to express it” two thirds (64 per cent) agreed while just one third (32 per cent) disagreed.

The poll found little variation across age groups. Three in five among 18-24 year olds (62 per cent) agreed with the statement. The figures rose to just over two thirds (67 per cent) of 45-54 year olds, before slipping back slightly and then rising to seven in 10 (69 per cent) among pensioners.

There was some variation between the sexes. A full seven in 10 men (73 per cent) and most women (55 per cent) agreed with the statement.

Colin Hart, Director of The Christian Institute, commented: “The intolerance shown towards a politician, just because he was thought to believe that gay sex is wrong, is deeply troubling. The polls shows Mr Farron needn’t have worried. Most voters think politicians should be free to speak on such matters.”

“Historic Christian belief holds that gay sex, adultery and sex before heterosexual marriage (fornication) are wrong. This belief is also shared by virtually all the other world faiths including Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam. Politicians should not be silenced or hounded out of office just for holding these views otherwise we diminish our democracy and risk marginalising millions of ordinary people.”

The Christian charity commissioned the poll in the wake of the media uproar over Mr Farron’s comments during an appearance on Channel 4 News, where he failed to answer whether he thought homosexuality was a sin.

Asked by Eleanor Garnier on Radio 4’s PM programme whether he thought that gay sex was a sin, the Lib Dem leader admitted that in previous interviews he had been evasive but said that he now wanted to make clear that gay sex wasn’t a sin.

His earlier evasion had drawn criticism from a number of celebrities who branded him a “bigot” and an “absolute disgrace”. Even senior figures in his party failed to defend him, with one, Sir Vince Cable, suggesting he had a problem with his faith and being a public figure.

Mr Hart continued: “We are deeply concerned at the way those with beliefs out of kilter with dominant secular thought are being targeted and forced out from the public square, something this poll says is wrong.”

Only among SNP voters was there no majority supporting a politician’s right to express opposition to gay sex, with equal numbers of those surveyed saying they should and should not be free to express themselves.

The poll also asked whether a politician who believed that “gay sex is a sin, but seeks to keep that view private” should be allowed to hold public office. By an overwhelming majority 67 per cent to just 25 per cent of those surveyed said they should.

The statement found high levels of support across all ages, regions and parties. Only the Green Party was an exception. It was evenly divided on whether they should or should not be allowed to hold public office.

Finally the poll asked whether schools should encourage “pupils to use lavatories and changing rooms for the opposite sex in order to explore their gender identity”. It found high levels of opposition to these proposals with eight in 10 (79 per cent) saying they should not and less than one in five (17 per cent) saying they should.

Mr Hart concluded: “The conclusion of the survey is very clear: even if we disagree with a particular view, the public by a significant margin respect the right of those who hold traditional and challenging views to express them. It also sends out a clear message that those trying to shout them down and accusing them of bigotry and homophobia do not represent the majority. It would appear yet again that the forces of political correctness are out of step with the ordinary men and women of this country.”

ENDS

ComRes interviewed 1,001 GB adults by telephone between 20th and 24th April 2017. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults by age, gender, region and socio-economic grade.

ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.