Loading...
|| News ||
Page 1 of 1

Poll: Most Americans Would Support Gay Presidential Candidate

Following an Advocatearticle pondering the electability of an openly gay candidate for president, a new nationwide poll from Zogby International found that 65% of likely voters would support an openly gay person to serve as president of the United States if they believed he or she was the most qualified person for the post.


Following an Advocatearticle pondering the electability of an openly gay candidate for president, a new nationwide poll from Zogby International found that 65% of likely voters would support an openly gay person to serve as president of the United States if they believed he or she was the most qualified person for the post.

The results were similar for a vice presidential candidate, with 66% saying they would back a gay VP whom they believed had the right skill set, and 69% said they would support an out candidate for the U.S. Senate. More than 70% of respondents said they would support an openly gay person to serve as a cabinet-level secretary.

“These results prove that most Americans want to be fair to gay people,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute, a nonpartisan leadership development organization. "Our aspiration is to always see each other as individuals first, and though we may not always succeed at that, our underlying fairness and decency means that one day soon we will. This marks tremendous progress for our community and for the voting public."

The poll of 1,089 adults, conducted August 13–15 for GLLI, had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points. (The Advocate)

Click here to follow The Advocate on Twitter. Page 1 of 1
Reader Comments
  • Name: J.E. Green author of MERGING WITH MONSTERS
    Date posted: 8/23/2008 10:56:00 AM
    Hometown: Denver, CO

    Comment:

    Sounds to me like people like so many people who say they would vote for Senator Obama if he had "more experience." The jury is still out regarding whether America is ready to vote a Black man and his BLACK FAMILY into the White House. People are not HONEST when it comes to inquiries regarding their often poorly concealed prejudices. Just Keepin' it Real, folks! Peace!

  • Name: Rick Stofer
    Date posted: 8/22/2008 11:19:00 PM
    Hometown: Coconut Creek, Florida

    Comment:

    We've already had a gay president. His name was James Buchanan. Although he could not be "out" at the time, there was still a lot of speculation about his sexuality while he was in office. Yes, it is only speculation, but what about: Alexander the Great, Roman Emperor Hadrian, Michaelangelo, et al. We can really only speculate about them, but there sure is a lot of evidence pointing toward their gayness.

  • Name: BeachcomberT
    Date posted: 8/22/2008 10:17:00 PM
    Hometown: Daytona Beach

    Comment:

    Let's break 2 glass ceilings at once -- gay and Jewish. I nominate Rep. Barney Frank, widely regarded as one of the most intelligent and wittiest members of Congress. Some gay people and many trangender people dislike his incrementalist approach to ENDA, but compromise and incrementalism are what American politics is all about.

  • Name: Check Peters
    Date posted: 8/22/2008 6:51:00 PM
    Hometown: Maplewood NJ

    Comment:

    A NY politician told me it was an open secret about Jim McGreevey's homosexuality, and that the big question always was: "Can we elect a gay Governor?" And the answering question is: "Who's he running against?" Ho is that for cynical?

  • Name: Jeff
    Date posted: 8/22/2008 4:32:00 PM
    Hometown: Cincinnati

    Comment:

    Aren't they about 150 years too late? James Buchanan was a flamer back in the 1850s and he was our 15th president. His niece served as "first lady." Sadly, he was one of our worst, but that's not related to his sexuality.

  • Name: Philip
    Date posted: 8/22/2008 3:20:00 PM
    Hometown: Phoenix

    Comment:

    It took Obama winning in Iowa, a State that is overwhelmingly white, before the majority of African Americans started to believe America would seriously consider electing a black President. I think it is going to take a similar event before the majority of gay Americans start believing America will seriously consider electing a gay President. I guess it makes sense that historically oppressed groups have to be proven wrong before letting go of mistrust long enough to start believing things have really changed.

  • Name: Terzian
    Date posted: 8/22/2008 2:57:00 PM
    Hometown: Bowling Green, OH

    Comment:

    I'm going to have to call some severe BS on this poll. C'mon, guys... roughly 1000 people will NEVER represent the American public accurately. The pool of voters polled was simply too small. Also, where did these potential voters come from?n If they're all from the same area of the country, then the poll is going to be very far off. Even if it's stratified, you wouldn't have enough people from the different regions, walks of life, ages, etc. to get an accurate fix. Come back when you've polled 10,000 people... and then we'll talk. By they way... you can add me to the list of WOULD vote for, if qualified otherwise. - Terz

  • Name: David Barrett
    Date posted: 8/22/2008 2:11:00 PM
    Hometown: Silverlake, CA

    Comment:

    Are you guys kidding? Come on! Ridiculous. So which is it? President Leather Daddy or President Twink? I can see it all now: Hail to the Queen. The simple fact that someone is spending money conducting these polls is crazy. Someone has far too much money or time on their hands. And by the way, how about a lesbian President? (Hail to the Butch?) Oh, wait. Hillary lost. Hmmm....

  • Name: Empire
    Date posted: 8/22/2008 2:09:00 PM
    Hometown: New York, NY

    Comment:

    Who would have thought a couple of years ago that a black man with foreign name could deny a former first lady for a major party nomination? Anything is possible with the right candidate. Yes we can :)

  • Name: David
    Date posted: 8/22/2008 1:58:00 PM
    Hometown: Jackson, OH

    Comment:

    I hope we do some day soon get a gay President. Then when we have people enlist in the military we will be able to say "Do Ask and Do Tell".



More Online Only
  • Film Teen Spirit

    While Native American cultures have long honored people of integrated genders, a new documentary looks at a shocking hate crime against a two-gendered Colorado teenager.

  • Politicians L.A. Confidential

    What's it like to be 33, gay, and one of the most powerful people in America's second-largest city? Stressful, says Matt Szabo, the new deputy chief of staff to Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

  • Commentary Love Bites for Twilight's Gay Fans

     

    Gay fanpires are sure to flock to New Moon, but with questions lingering about author Stephanie Meyer and the cash she gives to the Mormon Church, Mike Albo wonders if we'd be better off tying a clove of garlic around our necks.


  • Youth Church Opens Doors for Homeless Gay Teens

    A church-turned-shelter for homeless youth in Queens, New York is a far cry from sleeping on the streets after a $200,000 renovation and a partnership with the Ali Forney Center for LGBT youth.

  • Music France's Latest Export

    He's opened for Britney and Katy Perry, kept Dita Von Teese company in the front row at Paris Fashion Week, and gets name-checked on Twitter by Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and Sarah Silverman. So who the hell is Sliimy, anyway?

  • Marriage Equality Triumph in the Tar Heel State

    The loss of marriage equality in Maine was a major blow on Election Night, but down the coast in North Carolina there was an LGBT victory. Pam Spaulding talks to Chapel Hill's mayor-elect, Mark Kleinschmidt.

  • Theater Video Content Flag Puppet Masters

    When performance-art drag diva Joey Arias combines forces with master puppeteer Basil Twist, anything — no, seriously, anything — can happen.

  • News Softball With Oprah and Palin

     

    Dave White recaps as Oprah plays nice with Palin in her exclusive, personality-rehabbing interview. Topics include Katie Couric ("badgering"), Levi Johnston ("Ricky Hollywood"), and step class ("gee, it's fun").

  • News View From Washington: Frank Tells

    This week Congressman Barney Frank laid out a plan and a timetable for repealing "don't ask, don't tell..." and a reminder that he's been saying it would happen in 2010 from the beginning.

  • News Features Where's Mitrice?

     

    Mitrice Richardson is a 4.0 student, a former beauty pageant contestant, and a lesbian. She’s also been missing since September, and her family and girlfriend want answers. 


     

  • Theater Seat Filler

    The Advocate’s queen on the New York theater scene meets bisexual conjoined twins, pits Sienna Miller against Jude Law, tastes Cheyenne Jackson’s Rainbow, and saves up for a rainy day with Hugh Jackman.

  • Art Fairey Good 


    Controversial artist Shepard Fairey spends his creative capital to bring marriage equality back to California.

  • Film Crazy Like a Fox

    Hipster actor Jason Schwartzman gets schooled on his gay fans and the Hollywood closet and reveals why he’s never played a gay role.

  • Television Viki Victorious?

     

    Soap icon and six-time Emmy Award winner Erika Slezak talks about the trials and tribulation of playing Victoria Lord and her run for mayor, gay rights, and the sudden death that rocks Llanview.

  • Commentary Called to Serve

    The military continues to operate under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which even the Pentagon says is unsubstantiated. As General McChrystal asks for more troops in Afghanistan, one gay Navy vet offers his service to his country in spite of the policy that would deny him.

  • News Features Marriage Foe Tied to Pro-Gay Companies

    Ford Motor Co. and Reynolds American, two companies that receive consistently high marks from the HRC, have ties with Schubert Flint Public Affairs, the firm that was instrumental in defeating marriage equality in California and Maine.

     

  • News Features A Few Good Men

    In honor of Veteran's Day, two of the most famous gay vets -- Frank Kameny and Dan Choi -- share their letters from Uncle Sam.

Most Popular Stories