Poll: Only 21% of Brits believe churches are welcoming of gay people

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A survey by YouGov shows British acceptance towards same-sex families continues to increase, although perceived tolerance among churches is far lower.

70% said same-sex couples in civil partnerships with children were a family and more than half (52%) of people consider an unmarried couple without children to be a family.

Meanwhile, 47% of people consider a same-sex couple in a civil partnership without children to be a family.

Views differed little among religious people and the general population, with 67% of Anglicans, 66% of Catholics and 72% of Jewish people regarding a same-sex couple in a civil partnership with children as a family.

When asked whether more single women having children without a male partner is good or bad for society, 30% said neither but 58% said it was bad.

Views were more mixed when it came to more gay and lesbian couples raising children, with 24% saying this was good, 31% saying bad, and 39% saying neither.

The survey also found that although most think churches are welcoming of married and single people, just 21% said they were welcoming to gay, lesbian and bisexual people.

Over a third (39%) of people consider any two or more people who care for each other to be a family.

The survey was commissioned by Westminster Faith Debates and asked the views of over 4,000 UK adults.

Last week, the Archbishop of Canterbury agreed to discuss the Church of England’s stance on gay equality with human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, in a private meeting after Easter.

Shortly after his appointment in November of last year Justin Welby spoke of the need of the Church of England to have “no truck with any form of homophobia”.

However, he remains opposed to equal marriage and same-sex parenting.

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