Poll: Miss. gay community leads region in religious, military trends

[rug]

Dustin Barnes, The Clarion-Ledger 10:19 a.m. CDT July 29, 2014

A survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Mississippians – released today – revealed the state's LGBT community leads in regional trends dealing with religious beliefs and military service.

Speaking to The Clarion-Ledger last week, officials with the Human Rights Campaign said the results show that LGBT Mississippians are just like their friends and family members – living, working and going to church within their communities.

The HRC poll placed Mississippi's LGBT residents above those in Alabama and Arkansas when it comes to identifying as religious. Half of the LGBT respondents in the Magnolia State identified as either very or somewhat religious.

Forty-five percent of Alabama's LGBT residents, who also took place in an HRC poll, identified the same way, while one-third of Arkansas respondents said religion was important.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/07/29/poll-gay-community-mississippi/13303063/

http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/hrc-mississippi-releases-results-of-lgbt-mississippians-and-announces-state

[TygrBright]

1. Why do they think so many youngsters enlist? To get the hell outta Nowheresville! n/t

I would think this would be quadruply urgent if you were gay and poor and living in an intolerant, bigoted Nowheresville inclined to beat, ostracize and kill people like you.

That might explain relatively high rates of enlistment among gay youth, anyway. Any fracking port in a storm, just get me to some decent-sized city or place where people don't look sideways at me with that "I wonder how far I could drag your ass behind my truck" expression.

ironically,
Bright

[rug]

2. THe HRC announcement included the following.

The survey’s results show that LGBT Mississippians are just like their friends and family members—living, working, volunteering, and going to church within their communities.

I think that needed to be documented. But it followed that sentence with this.

However, the assessment also finds that LGBT people face daunting amounts of harassment and discrimination and enjoy no legal protections at either the local or state level.

That also needs to be documented.

[okasha]

3. Given the military's historically hostile

attitudes toward LGBT soldiers, I'm inclined to doubt they'd enlist just for escape when a relatively inexpensive bus ticket to Atlanta or Houston or Nawlins could get them onto friendly ground in a matter of hours.

But military experience does look good on a resume in a conservative area. Does anything in the study address these kids' political attitudes?