This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Members of Utah's millennial generation — ages 18 to 34 — are far more likely to support gay rights than older Utahns and are much less likely to consider themselves religious or patriotic.

That is according to the final installment of a four-part study released Tuesday by the Utah Foundation about differences in attitudes among generations in Utah, which especially focuses on millennials. It surveyed 1,300 Utahns in March.

"Perhaps surprisingly, Utah followed national trends in regards to those who would describe themselves as supporters of gay rights," the study found about the conservative state.

It reported that 42 percent of Utah millennials support gay rights.

That is more than the 35 percent of the state's Gen Xers (ages 35-50) who do, the 34 percent of baby boomers (ages 51-69) and the 28 percent of the silent generation (age 70 and older).

By comparison nationally, 51 percent of millennials support gay rights, as do 37 percent of Gen Xers; 33 percent of boomers and 32 percent of the silent generation.

"Utah Gen Xers and boomers nearly match their national counterparts," the study noted.

Utah millennials have the biggest difference with 9 percent less support than their national peers, even though they are bigger gay-rights supporters than older Utahns, said Christopher Collard, research analyst for the foundation.

The study found significant differences among and within generations on gay rights, depending on a person's religion and political leaning. "Those who did not identify as a religious person," the study said, " … were more likely to identify as a supporter of gay rights, especially among younger generations: 75 percent among millennials and Gen Xers, 67 percent among boomers and 35 percent among the silent generation."

Whether someone is a Mormon also made a big difference on their view of gay rights.

"The majority of respondents across all generations who did not identify with the LDS faith," the study said, "responded that being a supporter of gay rights was a description that fit them very well."

Mormon respondents were less likely to support gay rights, and have very similar results across all generations. "Fifteen to 20 percent of them consider themselves to be supporters of gay rights," Collard said.

The study said "liberals were almost 21 percent more likely than moderates and 30 percent more likely than conservatives" to support gay rights.

"Along party lines, Republicans were 22 percent less likely than Democrats and 8 percent less likely than independents" to be gay-rights supporters.

On religious attitudes, Utahns are more likely than most Americans to consider themselves religious — but millennials are the least religious among them.

The study found that 48 percent of Utah millennials considered themselves to be religious, compared to 36 percent nationally.

Among Utah Gen Xers, 54 percent consider themselves religious, compared to 52 percent nationally; 63 percent of Utah baby boomers say they are religious, compared with 55 percent nationally; and 75 percent of older Utahns do, compared to 61 percent nationwide.

It's different with Mormon faithful, regardless of age.

"Among those who consider themselves LDS, almost 80 percent of them consider themselves to be a religious person," Collard said, "regardless of what generation they fall into."

He adds that, nationally, most people say living a religious life is of middling importance to them. "However, in Utah, people are much more likely to give living a religious life extreme importance, or complete unimportance. They are not very likely to fall in the middle."

The study also said that while more Utahns of all generations consider themselves patriotic compared to their national peers, younger people are less likely to feel that way.

In Utah, 54 percent of millennials consider themselves patriotic, as do 74 percent of Gen Xers, 79 percent of baby boomers, and 89 percent of the silent generation.

Nationally, 49 percent of millennials say they are patriotic compared to 64 percent of Gen Xers, 75 percent of baby boomers and 81 percent of the silent generation. —

Fibbers or confused?

The new Utah Foundation study found that 92 percent of Utahns say they are registered to vote. But state data show that only 63 percent actually are.

The study says people constantly "over-report" whether they are registered.

Mark Thomas, state elections director for Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, says his office constantly finds that people actually believe they are registered when they are not. "Many think it happens automatically, such as when they obtain a driver's license."

It does not. Thomas said that false assumption is one key hurdle the state faces to get people to register and to vote.