Poll: Most Gays Trust Obama with Economy

More than two thirds of LGBT people feel optimistic about the nation's progress, while less than half of their straight counterparts share their positive outlook, according to a new poll.

A national survey conducted online shows that 67% of LGBT adults say that the country is going in the right direction, compared to 45% of straight adults. The poll shows an 11-point increase in approval among LGBT respondents from June to August.

LGBT respondents also appeared more confident about their personal financial outlook, with 57% saying they expect the economy to improve in the next year; among heterosexual adults, 45% shared that expectation.

The survey also found that 69% of gays rate President Barack Obama's overall handling of the economy as excellent or pretty good. Only 38% of heterosexual adults agree with their assessment. Further, more than four out of five LGBT adults trust the president to do what is right going forward for the American economy, compared to 60% of straight adults.

The poll of 2,709 adults -- of whom 378 self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender -- was conducted by Harris Interactive in conjunction with Witeck-Combs.