Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census - Religion
A new survey has revealed that although many gay people belong to a certain religion, few are actually practicing that religion.
More than 6 out of 10 (63.7%) respondents say they are affiliated with a particular religion but only 38% say they are practicing members.
The largest segment is Catholics (17.2%), although only 29.5%t of those members say they are practicing. Six percent of respondents say they are atheists and almost a third (30.3%) say they have no religious preference.
With 8,831 respondents, the 2002-2003 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census is the largest and most comprehensive GLBT consumer study ever conducted.
Of those respondents who answered both the religious affiliation and currently practicing questions, there are 11 religions with 200 or more members. Among these, the highest percentage of those saying they are practicing members of their respective religions are: Pagan (84.6%), Metropolitan Community Church (79.4%), Unitarian (66.7%), Episcopal (57.6%) and Jewish (47.5%).
Jeffrey Garber, the founder of the GLCensus Partners’ study, said: "The gap of those who practice their religion verses those who don’t appears to vary based on how various religious sects are perceived of as being more embracing of the GLBT community than those which are not.”
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