CNN, I guess in tandem with Pride Month (June) is running a series of articles on GLBT life in America. Their most recent one discusses a series of polls they ran about gay people. I was surprised, sometimes pleasantly, sometime not, by many of the results as well as how they have changed over time. Some highlights below:
1) Can Sexual Orientation be changed?
2007: 56% No--The first time a majority responded this way
2001: 45% No
1998: 36% No
2) Where does homosexuality come from?
2007: 42% Upbringing and Env't / 39% Genetics / 10% Both / 3% Neither / 6% no opinion
1980: 20% Genetics
1977: 13% Genetics
3) Should gay people be allowed to serve in the military?
2007: 79% Yes / 18% No
4) Gay Marriage
2007: 43% no marriage, no civil union / 24% yes marriage / 27% yes civil union
5) Gay Adoption
2007: 57% allow gay adoption / 40% no gay adoption
6) Is homosexuality morally acceptable or morally wrong
2007: 47% Morally Acceptable / 49% Morally Wrong
Not all of these polls were conducted on the same group of people, but as a national pulse they represent an interesting set of beliefs.
More people think that gay people should be allowed to adopt kids than support gay marriage or civil unions combined. That is fascinating. (3 states outlaw gay adoptions, 11 say it cannot be used to block an adoption, the rest have no statement on it.) Since I would guess that most people would prefer that children are placed into stable two parent families.
I knew that the military policy is becoming less and less popular, but I would not have guessed that 79% of average folks oppose it. Particularly if almost half of Americans also said they think that homosexuality is morally wrong. Maybe it's a measure of their take on the current military conflict--if it's going to keep going on indefinately, then why not send over the gays if they want to go? (I jest, I jest.)
It seems that as more people believe that sexual orientation is unchangable, regardless of its origin or their religious beliefs, they become more tolerant of rights for GLBT people.
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http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977041088
"The first challenge is to ensure that the information we collect in survey, research, and evaluation activities represents the people, places, and situations in which we are interested. Before collecting new data, we often perform media and environmental scans to ascertain current conditions. Because investigators rarely can look at all cases, we rely on sampling as we move ahead. Macro has conducted hundreds of studies based on samples large and small, random and purposive. Our sampling specialists identify populations, account for subgroups, and choose the right size and type of sample to ensure that a customer's questions are answered with a high degree of certainty." http://www.orcmacro.com/Survey/Data/
Although there was no information I could find about this specific project.
to do with it. I did not choose my sexual orientation nor can anyone change it. Psycologists warn that these "ex-gay" programs are actually harmful and do not
work,and only cause more anguish to someones life. Why is the right wing funda-
mentalists mission to protest at our events and try to "save" all of us after shouting that we are all going to hell. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior" and live my life treating others as I would like to be treated, that is all the saving I need.
Will R.
I can assure you that queer folks come in the full range of intelligences, just like straight folks.
You must not be dating; it's when you're not that you become most vitriolic.
Oh, and this article wasn't really at all about gay rites; maybe gay rights, tangentially, but mostly about people's opinions, gay and straight.