Young Religious Voters Increasingly Motivated by Social Justice Concerns Rather Than Anti-Gay Sentiment

Too often, the media portrays all religious voters as adamantly opposed to candidates who support equality for LGBT Americans.  As the Associated Press recently reported, the reality is far more complex.  According to the AP, a growing number of young people of faith are finding issues of social justice—such as the alleviation of poverty and strife—significantly more important than divisive issues such as the prohibition of marriage for gay and lesbian people.  Reflecting the unpredictability and diversity of the voting preferences of young religious people, a Feb. 2008 Barna Group study revealed that 40 percent of likely born-again Americans plan to vote for a Democratic candidate and 29 percent plan to vote for a Republican candidate in November 2008. These results contrast with the 2000 and 2004 elections when born-again voters were more likely to support a Republican candidate. “The religious voice in politics is not one unified voice,” said Beau Underwood, a student at the University of Chicago Divinity School. “There are times when the media paints a very narrow picture of the religiously minded voter as being very conservative and fundamentalist. People and groups who don’t fit that stereotype aren’t given the same amount of attention.”  Refreshingly, some media outlets—such as ABC News—have been paying increasing attention to the fact that younger religious voters are more diverse and progressive--and less motivated by anti-gay sentiment--than previous generations.

Cindi Creager is Director of National News