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More American Muslims are supporting same-sex marriage

A new report just released shows that opposition to same-sex marriage has decreased across a broad swath of religious groups in the United States – and that, for the first time, Muslims are part of the significant shift towards equality.

According to this report, findings from the Public Religion Research Institute’s 2017 American Values Atlas, published Tuesday, show that Muslims, by a margin of 51 percent to 34 percent, favour same-sex marriage, compared to just four years ago when a majority, 51 percent, were opposed.

Indeed, opposition to same-sex marriage is now limited almost entirely to white conservative Christians.

Fifty-eight percent of white evangelical Christians and 53 percent of Mormons – an overwhelming majority of whom are white – are opposed to allowing gay couples to marry. The group with the most opposition, though, is Jehovah’s Witnesses, a group which is 36 percent white, 32 percent Hispanic and 27 percent black in the US Just 13 percent support the law.

As a whole, 63 percent of Americans now back allowing same-sex couples to marry, up from 52 percent four years ago. All major racial groups now have a majority in favour.

Republicans, though, remain opposed, 51 percent to 42 percent. In its platform ahead of the 2016 election, the Republican Party declined to soften its language on the right of same-sex couples to wed from four years previously when it called the legislation “an assault on the foundations of our society.”

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has embraced white evangelicals with a series of policies, including signing a ban on some transgender people serving in the military. Yet, during his campaign, Trump criticised Islam, claiming that he would protect LBGT people against oppression.

Trump’s attempt to turn back the clock on equality gains during the Obama administration will be highlighted when he visits the UK in July. According to this report, almost 1,000 people have signed onto a Facebook invitation for a drag-queen protest to greet the President in London on July 13. Another nearly 7,000 people are interested in attending.

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Trump, portrayed as a drag queen.

Manchester drag performer Cheddar Gorgeous and four other performers have issued the call to all drag kings, queens, queers and their allies.

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Chedar Gorgeous

The invitation says:

Due to the appalling way the Trump administration has regarded the rights a  nd welfare of the LGBTQI communities in the US, the idea of a Trump visit to the UK is unacceptable.Let’s get visible, stand with our sisters, brothers and others in America.

Gorgeous also spread the word through an April 30 guest column in the Guardian newspaper. She and her group – Violet Blonde, Liquorice Black, Anna Phylactic and Jonny Banks – are making plans to meet in a central location and join the main protest against Trump.

In an interview with the British site Gay Star News, Cheddar cited Trump’s attacks against transgender people in the US military and his removal of protections for transgender students.

There’s also a broad issue around visibility. There’s a wider point to be made about an attack on diversity. Diversity is becoming a scapegoat by the Trump administration and the people who support it.

Hat tip: BarrieJohn (drag queens report)


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