Poll: Majority of
Straight Americans Want Equal Treatment For Gays

A new poll finds more than half of straight Americans back equal treatment for gays, according to a report from the AFP. It also reports that seven out of 10 people polled said that in the face of verbal attacks, they have spoken out for LGBT people.

The online Harris Poll surveyed nearly 2,200 adults in late September 2007 and was released to coincide with the launch of the Straight for Equality program by the advocacy group Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

The poll also found that one third of poll respondents said they would not speak out in order to avoid confrontation. One in five cited religious or moral grounds for not speaking out in defense of gays, but an equal number gave the same reason for doing so.

Straight for Equality "is reaching out to straight people who don't have an immediate relative who is gay or lesbian to start speaking up" for the rights of LGBT people, PFLAG spokeswoman Jean-Marie Navetta said. (The Advocate)