DADT Poll 57 for Gays Serving Openly

A new Quinnipiac University national poll shows majorities of American voters think gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military and that the "don't ask, don't tell" policy constitutes discrimination.

According to the poll, voters surveyed said that gays should be allowed to serve openly by a margin of 57% to 36%. Respondents also said that DADT is discrimination by a margin of 66% to 31%.

However, by a 54% to 38% margin, voters said that gays in the military should face restrictions on exhibiting their sexual orientation on the job.

Also, voters from military households sounded less enthusiastic about ending DADT, with a margin of 48% to 47%. Support for repeal was highest among Democrats at 72% to 23%, followed by independents at 56% to 37%. Republican voters opposed repeal by 53% to 40%.

Quinnipiac University surveyed 2,617 registered voters nationwide from February 2 to 8 with a margin of error of +/- 1.9 percentage points. Find the full results here.