Judging by the latest Gallup poll, it appears that gay rights are making some headway among Americans. Every year that goes by more and more seem to be leaning towards acceptance, which should not be confused with moral approval. Bear in mind that this poll has a margin of error of +/- 3% but let’s take a look:
I. Whether gays should be allowed to serve openly, maintain the current DADT policy or return to pre-DADT policies of discharging all gays:
1. Serve openly: 46%
2. Serve under DADT: 36%
3. Discharge all gays: 15%
The first gained 5% since 2000, while the second and third each lost 2% during that time. See also part VII which tends to cloud these results IMO.
II. Whether homosexual relations should be legal or not:
1. Legal: 59%
2. Illegal: 37%
That’s a significant change since the question was asked in 1977 when both sides were evenly split at 43% each.
III. Equal rights “in terms of job opportunities” for gays (think some version ENDA):
1. Yes: 89%
2. No: 8%
3. Depends: 1%
Again, a significant change since 1977. The first has gained 33% since then while the second lost 25%.
IV. Whether a homosexuality is something one is born with, due to environment, both or something else.
1. Born with: 42%
2. Environment: 35%
3. Both: 11%
4. Neither (something else): 2%
A dramatic change in public opinion since 1977 on the first two at least. The first has gained 29%, the second has lost 21%, the third has lost 3% and the fourth has lost only 1%.
V. Whether same-sex marriages should be recognized in law on par with opposite gender marriages:
1. Yes: 46%
2. No: 53%
We have a ways to go on this one, but since 1996 the “yes” side has gained 19% while the “no” crowd has lost 15%.
VI. Constitutional marriage banning same-sex marriage:
1. Favor: 50%
2. Oppose: 47%
Virtually the same since 2003. It is notable that neither side meets the 2/3’s approval by Congress standard nor the 3/4’s ratification by the States standard required under Article V of the US Constitution for amendment.
VII. Whether gays should be be allowed to serve in the military:
1. Should: 76%
2. Should not: 22%
A significant difference from 1992 when 52% believed they should while 37% disagreed. Given the first part of this polling data, however, these results should be taken with a grain of salt.
The trend would seems to be heading towards repeal of DADT and full integration of gays within society which I find encouraging.
— John (Average Gay Joe)
What I find most interesting is that this progress is taking place during the oh-so-oppressive Bush regime (sarcasm). It bodes well for the movement that progress is being made regardless of which party has the White House. The more people come out, the more tolerant society becomes.
Ha! Good point… 😉
Okay so I have to ask. If 89% of Americans favor workplace nondiscrimination for gays, why is it so hard to get us added to ENDA? It’s hard to get 89% of Americans to agree on anything at all so with numbers like this why is Congress so afraid to pass a law that almost all Americans favor? (And I’m not being partisan here. Democrats act like they are treading on thin ice on this one too.)Â
Could be several things. My personal favorite: Because ENDA-type laws are fundamentally bad laws, that should not have anybody added to them, ever!!!
But, a more likely favorite for most people: Because every time they try to add "US", i.e., *GAYS*, to ENDA, deluded Left gay activists try to make it about something altogether different: Trans-genderism. Something that does not have anything like 89% support.
OK, what I came to say. It’s interesting that when it’s a yes/no choice about gays serving in the military, 22% say no… while when it’s a 3-part choice, yes/DADT/no, only 15% say no. I’m not drawing any big conclusion, it’s just interesting.
It’s also interesting that 37% think homosexual relations as such should be illegal – while 89% think gays should have equal job opportunities. Don’t people realize that making gay relations illegal inherently penalizes / limits our job opportunities, by providing a legal justification for discrimination?
That 37% is also disturbing. Something I think we should work on more.
Okay so I have to ask. If 89% of Americans favor workplace nondiscrimination for gays, why is it so hard to get us added to ENDA?
Well, that wasn’t really the question asked.
Most Americans know that so-called "nondiscrimination" laws have been twisted to mean that you MUST hire and CANNOT discipline or fire minority individuals. They are aware of cases like Bonnie Bleskachek, in which a Democrat-appointed lesbian exploited Minnesota’s nondiscrimination law to discriminate against males and women who refused her sexual advances, to promote and protect her sexual partners, and who allowed her sexual partners to harass others, all while maintaining her position and then couldn’t be fired when she was caught.
If you ask a question about "opportunities", most Americans won’t disagree with that. But if you try to put in a law that says gays and lesbians deserve special protections in the workplace, which is what ENDA laws are all about, they won’t. No one currently has protections based on their sexual orientation, straight OR gay, and most Americans think that is perfectly fair.
And as far as the "should be illegal" part, that’s probably due to the fact that gay sex is exemplified in most peoples’ minds by what goes on at Pride parades and the Folsom Street Fair.
You really cannot use that question to look at support for EDNA, since it is not asking about ENDA or support for a law barring such discrimination. America is about equality and freedom, its the values that we all have share and what makes us great.
I think the marriage trends are really impressive, since with the margain of error it is almost split even on both issues…which is a lot better than 2004 but gay marriage has also faded out of the spotlight. I would assume people aren’t feeling threatened by it thus less reactionary.
I guess thats the perk of not doing it by court cases and leaving it to legislatures….even if it is much slower.
#7: "…but gay marriage has also faded out of the spotlight. I would assume people aren’t feeling threatened by it thus less reactionary. I guess thats the perk of not doing it by court cases and leaving it to legislatures….even if it is much slower." Actually, the "perk" of leaving the gay marriage issue to the legislatures and "not doing it by court cases" is that it gives the citizenry at least SOME involvement in the democratic process by which our laws are supposed to be enacted. I would definitely consider it a "perk" to know that the laws of my state were passed by a MAJORITY of representatives, elected by a MAJORITY of the people whose lives are ultimately governed by them. "Laws" being imposed on millions of citizens by the judicial fiats of a handful of aging hippies who think "unconstitutional" means "whatever liberals don’t like or makes homosexuals cry?" Not a perk.