Study: Older, wealthier gay voters support Kerry

Kerry's strongest support among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered voters derives from older and wealthier households and from those who are partnered, legally coupled, or married, according to the annual Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census, released Wednesday. The results are hardly surprising but do provide a glimpse into this year's gay voting bloc. Among registered voters 55 years of age and older, nearly 84% of lesbians and 75% of gay men identify as Democrats. That number is considerably lower for voters 19 to 24 years of age: 67% for women and 69% for men. When registered voters were asked, "Who would you vote for if the presidential election were held today?" 90.4% of female respondents and 88.6% of male respondents said they would vote for Kerry. President Bush was the pick of 1.5% female and 4.4% male registered voters. Ralph Nader has 1.4% of female and .8% of male respondent votes. "The GLBT community appears to have strong feelings about the race," said Jeffrey S. Garber, president of OpusComm Group. "Republican politicians tend to give tax incentives to those with higher incomes, but it appears that GLBT people aren't as concerned with tax cuts versus other issues that affect their daily lives both at home and at work." Of those registered to vote, 83.5 % of those with household incomes of less than $19,999 would vote for Kerry; 90.2% of households with incomes of $100,000 or more would do the same.