Poll: 75% of Americans Support Gays in Military  | News | Advocate.com

Advocate.com health Channel
||  News  ||
 
July 22, 2008

Poll: 75% of Americans Support Gays in Military

Poll: 75% of Americans Support Gays in Military

Seventy-five percent of Americans believe that gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve in the US military, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The Washington Post reported that the number of Americans who support gays in the military is up from 62% in 2001 and 44% in 1993.

Eighty percent of registered Democrats support the repeal of "don’t ask, don’t tell," a policy barring gay service men and women from serving openly in the military. Enacted 15 years ago under the Clinton administration, the push for the repeal of DADT is gaining momentum. The Post reported that support from Republicans has doubled from 32% to 64% since DADT was enacted.

The Post-ABC poll, conducted between July 10 and July 13, also showed that more than 80% of women support gays in the military, compared with approximately 67% of men. (The Advocate)

Keywords:  DADT 
Related stories from Advocate.com

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: L. Clark Williams
    Date posted: 2008-07-23 1:11 PM
    Hometown: Salinas, CA

    Comment:

    I am a middle-aged gay man who is an American purely by accident of birth, not desire. I support "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". If it keeps even one gay man or lesbian from serving in the military and getting killed for a country that continues to treat us as second-class citizens, it has fulfilled its desired purpose. In fact, I believe gay men and lesbians should be accorded an honorable deferment from serving in the military or being drafted as cannon fodder. Instead, maybe we could be more useful serving in the Peace Corps, making the world a better place. I certainly wouldn't lift a trigger finger to defend this country!


  • Name: Ann
    Date posted: 2008-07-22 6:05 PM
    Hometown: steubenville, Ohio

    Comment:

    I disagree homosexuals should not be allowed to serve openly in the military. I would like to know where the Washington Post gets their surveys and where they do them. They have not polled me or others. I am wondering if the polls come from the homoseuxal communities. Of course the washigton Post is a liberal paper like the New York times, so what else can I expect.


  • Name: Roger Burr
    Date posted: 2008-07-22 11:56 AM
    Hometown: Marble Hill, MO

    Comment:

    Hooray... I'm glad to hear so many people support repeal of this antiquated policy. Gays and Lesbians are just as patriotic and desirous of service in the armed forces as anyone else. That said, I also want to see country-wide support for same-sex marriage, adoption rights, etc. If we are going to be acknowledged as 'qualified to openly die for our country', then we damn well need to enjoy ALL the benefits of LIVING in this country.


  • Name: Bob
    Date posted: 2008-07-22 8:35 AM
    Hometown: New York, New York

    Comment:

    Maybe now the government will stop discharging some of the most important men and women in the US military. I mean, seriously, don't we NEED our Arabic and Korean linquists??? Get over it and let these people protect us! Jeesh. This from an ABC story from 2006: "A 2004 study by the Government Accountability Office found that of the 9,488 service members discharged from the military for gay and lesbian conduct, approximately 757 -- or 8 percent -- "held critical occupations," meaning the kinds of jobs for which the Pentagon offers selective reenlistment bonuses. That number included 322 with "skills in an important language such as Arabic, Farsi, or Korean.""


  • Name: Paul
    Date posted: 2008-07-22 12:20 AM
    Hometown: New York

    Comment:

    I say we get our full civil rights - like marriage - before having to go off and risk our lives for a country that doesn't believe we deserve them.


  • Name: Michel Bauer
    Date posted: 2008-07-21 1:59 PM
    Hometown: Joplin

    Comment:

    I hope someday Americans realize that a lot of the soldiers who have defended us in the past (and many of those who are defending us now) are lesbian, gay, and bisexuals. These are excellent people. They need to be free to serve without fear of discharge for simply being themselves.


  • Name: Robert
    Date posted: 2008-07-21 12:43 PM
    Hometown: Jacksoneville NC

    Comment:

    man with numbers like that, its hard to egnore it. I would like to serve in the medical core of the navy without fear of being outed and tossed. I'd also hope i would be insured the right to have equal protection for my family whenever i get hitched and he and i had kids. But all that at once seems kinda far off still...


Back to top

Submit a comment for this story:

*Type your comment here (Required, 1000 characters max.):

*Name (Required): 

*Hometown (Required): 

*E-mail address: (Required, but will not be displayed)

Is this comment for publication? 
Yes   No

Daytime phone number: (Required for print publication only and will not be displayed)

Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

  

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above. 

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

Comments that do not concern specific articles in The Advocate or on Advocate.com will not be posted or published. See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives
  • People of the Year Extended: Françoise Barré-Sinoussi
    On October 6, the Nobel committee awarded half of the 2008 prize in medicine to two French virologists, Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier, for their discovery of HIV in 1983. Advocate.com talked with Barré-Sinoussi about the fight for credit for discovering the virus, a slowdown in practicing prevention, and her main research focus today.
  • Wanda Sykes, Thomas Beatie Kick Off Advocate's People of the Year
    Each year The Advocate names its People of the Year -- a handful of names that made headlines, made a difference, or simply made us talk. This year's list kicks off with a trio of people who had us talking in 2008. Comedian Wanda Sykes; WordPerfect founder, former Mormon, and $1 million No on 8 donor Bruce Bastian; and "pregnant man" Thomas Beatie are three people who made 2008 a year to remember.
  • Through the Looking Glass
    American composer David Del Tredici won a Pulitzer Prize for his musical adaptation of the work of Lewis Carroll, and on December 4 he will premiere his latest and gayest masterpiece, My Favorite Penis Poems. The 70-year-old talks to Advocate.com about his relationships with Allen Ginsberg and Aaron Copland and how he transitioned from children's literature to S/M ballads.
  • She's Back, Bitches
    Britney Spears is a perennial favorite of the type that chases ambulances -- not for the potential lawsuits, but just to get a glimpse of the tragedy inside. On her new album, Circus, Spears begins -- finally -- to justify some of the idol worship that legions of gay fanboys have heaped upon her image.
  • U.S. Politics From a Distance
    As America continues to rejoice in election of Barack Obama -- while gay Californians lament the passing of Prop. 8 -- overseas, political activists look on from a distance. Zachery Scott has watched the drama following Election Day unfold as he serves in the Peace Corps in Mozambique.
  • Shoshana Bean Is Lookin' for a Superhero
    Not many girls can wow a Broadway crowd in shows like Wicked and Hairspray, then turn around and bring the audience to its feet at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. But Shoshana Bean goes far beyond what most people might expect, as evidenced by her soulful debut album, Superhero.
  • 30 Years Later, We Can Still Learn from Milk
    COMMENTARY: Thirty years after the death of Harvey Milk, Americans can still learn from his inspiring and profound work as an activist, politician and friend. With the story of his life opening in theatres this week, Lane Hudson takes a look back at how Milk's legacy lives on -- and what we can to do pay tribute to the legend.
  • Urban Cowboy
    How does a brand that is over a century old make itself cool again? With a little help from the gays. Levi Strauss & Co. sponsored the world premiere of Milk at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco in October, and The Advocate sat down with the out president of the denim company, Robert Hanson, that afternoon to find out what Levi's and Harvey Milk have in common.
  • L.A. Gay Center Responds to Prop. 8 Criticism
    In the December 16 edition of The Advocate, writer Ben Ehrenreich analyzed the differing opinions of why Prop. 8 passed at the polls in his article, "Anatomy of a Failed Campaign." Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center chief public affairs officer Jim Key responds to the criticisms raised by that article.
  • Billy Baldwin Pleads for Return of Dirty Sexy Money
    Actor William Baldwin is half of one of TV’s most groundbreaking couples -- his Dirty Sexy Money character is in love with a transsexual, played by Candis Cayne -- but it’s one plot that may not get to play itself out, as the show is in danger of cancellation. Baldwin sat down with Advocate.com to talk about rumors that ABC is "de-gaying" its lineup, what the future holds for Money, and whether network heads ever interfered with his controversial story line.
  • The Kid Stays in the Picture
    Lana Turner's lesbian daughter, Cheryl Crane, has penned her second memoir about her late, great movie star mother -- Lana: The Memories, the Myths, the Movies. Crane sits down with The Advocate to relive that fateful night she killed her mother's mobster lover, share some untold stories, and give us a sneak peek at the new photographs of their life together.
  • The Soul of Seal
    Armed with a new album of soul classics and his trademark blunt outlook on the state of the world, Seal sat down with Advocate.com to discuss the rumors that he and wife Heidi Klum would have left the country had John McCain been elected, the gay rights movement, and what makes Seal's sound so damn sexy.
  • Finding the Silver Lining in Defeat
    Three weeks ago, like many LGBT Americans, I woke up with, to say the least, mixed feelings. The euphoria of Barack Obama’s election and the expansion of the pro-LGBT majority in Congress was tempered by sadness and anger at our devastating losses in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, and, of course, California. The silver lining of these defeats has been a renewed focus nationwide on the issue of marriage equality.
  • Separation of Sundance and State
    In 2009, Sundance will celebrate 25 years of bringing together international cinema and a variety of cultures in Park City, Utah. But with California's gay community reeling from the passage of Prop. 8, activists and filmmakers are suggesting a boycott of the festival and theater chain Cinemark, whose CEO donated a substantial sum to the marriage ban's campaign. But just how realistic is a boycott of an entire state?
  • Democratic Supermajority No Guarantee for Gay Progress
    The 2008 election may already be one for the record books, but triumphant Democrats are still vying for an elusive political prize -- the 60-seat supermajority required to overcome Republican filibuster attempts and advance their legislative agenda swiftly beginning in January. But what are the odds of actually getting 60 seats -- and will it really push gay rights to the front of the line?
  • From the Great White Way to the White House
    While there won’t be a woman in the White House anytime in the near future, 24 took the reins and elected to cast two-time Tony Award winner Cherry Jones as its first female president, Allison Taylor, who is likely to have everything including terrorists, WMDs, and the kitchen sink thrown at her. Jones sat down with The Advocateto talk marriage, the White House, and her "fluid" relationship with partner Sarah Paulson.
  • Handicapping the LGBT Priorities of President-elect Obama
    As the Obama-Biden transition ensues, insights are surfacing into the new administration's agenda for gay Americans. While many of the policy pronouncements read like a list of old favorites, some lesser-known initiatives will likely gain momentum early on.
  • A Fortune 500 Take on Prop. 8
    The old saying goes that every cloud has a silver lining. And on November 5, the day after California voters stripped same-sex couples of the right to marry, so many around the country were searching for one. Although thousands of individuals, organizations, and businesses donated to the Yes on 8 campaign, not one Fortune 500 company is among those names. But on the opposite side, the side of fairness and basic rights, you’ll find some of the nation’s most successful and powerful corporate players.
  • Chevy Volt: The Jolt GM Needs?
    Launching a new vehicle while the American auto industry is asking Congress for a $25 billion bailout might seem like illogical timing, but for General Motors and the people behind Chevy Volt, it’s essential. With their backs against the wall, GM is rolling out their much-anticipated first plug-in electric vehicle -- and focusing their marketing efforts on the gay community.
  • Dr. Phil Weighs in on Prop. 8
    Advocate.com gets an early peek at a very heated episode of Dr. Phil. Gavin Newsom, HRC's Joe Solmonese, and L.A. attorney Gloria Allred face off against Prop. 8 supporters to talk same-sex marriage. In what may well be a first, Dr. Phil told the audience he would be keeping his opinions to himself.