Canadians are more likely to vote for an atheist, gay or transgender person than an evangelical Christian to lead their country, according to a Canadian research institute.
The Angus Reid Institute survey, conducted in May with a sample size of 1,533 Canadian adults and a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, found that 85 percent said they would vote for a party that is led by a gay man; 84 percent would back a lesbian; 80 percent, an atheist; and 69 percent, a transgender. Meanwhile, 65 percent said they would support an evangelical Christian.
Evangelicals fared better in the United States, with 72 percent of Americans saying they would vote for an evangelical presidential candidate.
Americans are less likely to vote for a gay man or lesbian, at 63 and 62 percent, respectively. And atheists and transgender individuals are near the bottom of the U.S. list, at 52 and 50 percent, respectively.
Though Canadians and Americans are similar in their willingness to vote for a candidate who is a woman or Jewish, “they disagree substantially on voting for candidates from the LGBTQ community and atheists,” the survey noted.
Muslims found themselves at or near the bottom of choices on both lists, with only 47 percent of Americans willing to vote for a Muslim to lead their country, compared to 58 percent of Canadians.
Source: Associated Press
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