Utah ranks last in attitude to pro-gay policies

A recent study ranks Utah last in pro-gay policy attitudes. By these criteria, Utah's percentage who favor gay protections and rights (38%) is 5% lower than the next lowest state - Oklahoma; and 30% below the highest ranked state - Massachusetts (68%). Utah's ranking for each category is as follows:

• 50th ∙Adoption—Do you think there should be adoption rights for gay and lesbian couples?
• 50th ∙Hate Crimes—If a hate crime law were enacted in your state, do you think that homosexuals should be covered?
• 50th ∙Health: Should there be health insurance and other employee benefits for gay spouses?
• 50th ∙Housing: Should there be laws protecting homosexuals from discrimination in housing?
• 50th ∙Jobs: Should there be laws to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination in job opportunities?
• 46th ∙Marriage: Do you favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally?
• 45th ∙Sodomy: Do you think homosexual relations between consenting adults should be legal?
• 50th ∙Unions: Do you favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to form legally recognized civil unions, giving them many of the legal rights of married couples?
• 50th: Overall

From Jeffrey Lax and Justin Phillips, “Gay Rights in the States: Public Opinion and Policy Responsiveness,” American Political Science Review, p.41. Estimates of explicit pro-gay policy support are shown by state as a percentage, ordered by average opinion.

. State 2nd Parent Adoption Hate Crimes Health Benefits Housing Jobs Marriage Sodomy Civil Unions Mean Opinion . mean 43 70 59 75 62 39 45 49 55 . st. dev. 8 6 6 5 6 9 9 9 7 . total congruent 43 31 16 20 22 46 32 37 245 . Utah 22 55 41 57 40 25 33 31 38 . Oklahoma 26 59 49 65 50 25 32 35 43 . Arkansas 27 65 51 68 50 25 30 34 44 . Alabama 29 61 54 68 53 23 28 34 44 . Mississippi 29 64 55 71 55 23 28 34 45 . Tennessee 31 65 54 70 53 26 29 35 45 . Kentucky 32 63 52 69 53 28 35 39 46 . Idaho 33 59 51 67 53 34 42 40 47 . South Carolina 33 66 57 73 59 28 33 42 49 . Louisiana 36 67 58 76 62 30 34 40 51 . Georgia 36 68 58 74 60 30 39 43 51 . North Carolina 36 68 58 74 60 31 34 40 50 . Wyoming 37 59 54 70 58 36 45 45 51 . Texas 37 65 59 74 61 32 38 43 51 . Nebraska 39 62 53 72 60 32 39 43 50 . Kansas 39 65 54 73 61 36 41 46 52

. South Dakota 40 65 55 73 60 35 40 44 51 . Missouri 40 69 54 73 57 34 44 45 52 . North Dakota 41 63 55 73 62 33 41 44 51 . Indiana 41 66 54 74 60 35 42 45 52 . West Virginia 41 67 57 75 62 33 38 44 52 . Montana 43 66 58 73 61 41 51 52 56 . Alaska 43 66 59 75 62 42 49 50 56 . Virginia 43 71 62 77 64 37 44 45 55 . Arizona 44 70 62 76 64 44 52 54 58 . Wisconsin 44 73 56 77 62 42 51 50 57 . Florida 45 71 63 76 64 39 49 52 57 . Iowa 45 72 58 76 62 38 44 51 56 . Ohio 46 73 60 78 64 39 42 46 56 . Pennsylvania 46 73 61 78 66 43 47 52 58 . New Mexico 47 73 61 78 65 45 52 53 59 . Michigan 47 74 60 78 64 39 44 49 57 . Minnesota 47 74 60 78 64 42 49 51 58 . Oregon 47 75 61 77 63 45 54 56 60 . Nevada 48 73 63 78 65 46 51 55 60 . Colorado 48 74 61 78 66 47 55 56 61

. Illinois 48 77 64 80 66 42 50 53 60 . Delaware 49 76 66 81 68 41 46 54 60 . Maryland 49 79 67 82 69 41 50 55 61 . Hawaii 50 76 62 78 65 49 56 57 62 . Washington 51 76 61 79 65 49 56 57 62 . California 51 78 65 81 68 50 58 58 64 . Maine 52 75 64 79 67 49 52 58 62 . New Hampshire 52 75 66 80 68 51 53 61 63 . New Jersey 53 76 67 81 70 48 53 61 64 . Connecticut 54 77 68 81 70 52 56 62 65 . Vermont 55 79 66 81 69 53 56 62 65 . Rhode Island 55 79 67 82 70 53 57 64 66 . New York 56 79 71 82 70 52 58 63 66 . Massachusetts 57 81 68 82 70 56 61 69 68