Gallup: Most Americans Still Find Homosexuality Immoral

[Newsjock]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002610684

A new report from Gallup based on the latest polls reports profoundly "mixed" feelings among American about homosexuality. But in one key finding, only 44% of Americans say homosexuality is morally acceptable while 51% say it is morally wrong.

And just 39% say gay marriage should be legal.

Other results: 54% saying homosexuality is an acceptable "lifestyle" and 56% say it should be legal. And almost 9 in 10 says gays should receive equal job opportunities.

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[kenny blankenship]

1. When done correctly, sure

otherwise what's the point?

[Grebrook]

2. These polls never make sense

They always find absurd contractions, like "40% of America believes homosexuality should be illegal, and 80% of America believes homosexuals should not be discriminated against in the business sector".

That makes no sense.

[Bill McBlueState]

27. it may not be the fault of the polls

But rather a reflection of the reality that many people's belief systems contain absurd contradictions.

[warrens]

41. When people really think about it

They're generally a lot more forgiving than this poll indicates. The screeching gay haters out there are a lot smaller group than they appear. You can see in the results that while many disapprove of gay sex, they don't really dislike gay people or think they should be punished. Which is a giant step forward from a decade ago.

It makes their heads hurt to think too much about it. But slowly, the vast majority is getting used to the idea that yes, maybe their brother or cousin or aunt might be gay. And they're still family.

[Erika]

3. The question as to whether it's anyone's business about

sex should have been asked.

It's commmon to fear what is unknown. The more that gays come out the less they are feared.

[onehandle]

4. Come to Georgia where these numbers are in the 70s.

Most counties are in the 80s and 90s.

[DemoTex]

21. GA: Where my brother is a gay MD and his wonderful partner is a lawyer.

They are the ones in the famous lawsuit against the Druid Hills Country Club. Mike Luchovich, Pulitzer-winning cartoonist at the AJC, drew a great cartoon about my brother's "plight." The original drawing is now on my brother's home office wall, signed by Luchovich.

I was in Atlanta last weekend, at the original "garden party" at my brother's Ansley Park home. It was a political party for the influential gays. They are powerful in Atlanta and they gave me great ideas for November 2006 , and for my SC candidates. Dr. D. and I, and a good number of straight Democrats, had a ball with the queer boys, and they with us.

My parents, in their mid-80s down in Spalding County, finally understand that their youngest, and far most successful son is gay. My ditzy mom even asked my sister if gay equals homosexual. Yes, mom. Get with it!

Mac

[onehandle]

23. The numbers in Fulton and Dekalb Counties are in the 60s.

And still above the national average.

And this is where our gay population is most dense.

[Cha]

39. Cool story!

I really like Mike Luchovich's political strips.

What is the famous lawsuit about?

[DemoTex]

46. Let's see. How do I explain the lawsuit? "Discrimination" is the crux.

If a straight, married male is a member of the Druid Hills Country Club, his wife - basically - has full use of all facilities. The partner of a gay or Lesbian member of that club (the suit was brought by my brother's partner, who is the DHCC member, and a Lesbian club member with a female partner) enjoys no privileges of club use without the member present. The wicket got sticky when the mayor of Atlanta, a liberal African-American female Democrat (hate to stick the label, but it helps the story), invoked a city ordinance that threatened to pull the Druid Hills CC's liquor license.
No liquor on the 19th hole? That got the attention of the white boys, who naturally are the only ones who really deserve membership at the posh DHCC. Case pending.
Luchovich's cartoon showed a well-dressed handsome guy teeing off in the background. In the foreground a paunchy white guy asks his golfing partner, "What's his handicap?" The answer: "He's gay."

[Lexingtonian]

5. yeah, so what?

This stuff is just a Rorschach test for stupidity.

[Aristus]

6. In a related story,

the framers of the U.S. Constitution find black Americans to be only 3/5ths as equal as white Americans...

[Bluebear]

7. JUST in time for Election '06! nt

[cboy4]

15. Wanna play hangman?

W__GE IS__E

Nice work!

WEDGE ISSUE :puke:

[bdamomma]

31. yea, gays and the marriage amendment

this sick regime has nothing else to focus on???????????????? sickening really sickening.

[Yollam]

8. Most Americans Consider Reality TV to be "entertainment"

I'm glad to be in the minority on this one, too.

[progressivebydesign]

9. I just don't see it as a moral issue. Never had.

I don't think it's immoral in the least. Morals.. are something that is always applied to other people, values are what you apply to yourself.. apparently.

[987654321]

10. This tells me a lot of Americans are confused.

And I'm just as confused as to what this stupid poll means.
As far as those who think homosexuality is immoral, well I think most of those are men who are not comfortable with the fact that they kind of get turned on when they hear a Clay Aiken song.

[bluestateguy]

11. Majoritarianism is not a technique of argument

As a proud champagne sipping, Lexus driving, liberal elitist I am compelled to ask, "who cares"?

[cboy4]

12. How can 51% say it's morally wrong, yet 54% say it's an acceptable

lifestyle? :wtf:

Isn't that a contradictory??

As for Immorality.....do people base their views on religious beliefs or upbringing or ignorance or what?

That's what I'm curious about!

[Toucano]

14. I think we would have to see the phrasing.

Perhaps the three percent difference can be explained by people saying they consider homosexuality morally wrong for themselves, but don't have the same judgement about others.

There was a time when many white people would say that black people should be treated equally, but they didn't want their son or daughter to marry a black person. It could be a paradox like that.

[madmusic]

13. When they can, there will be prison time for it again n/t

Give it time once they get the opening. See the documentary "Paragraph 175".

[sandnsea]

16. They view it like abortion

Morally wrong to them in their private life, but they don't pass that judgment on to others. That's why the poll looks confusing, and also why gay marriage is such a leap because that crosses from civil to religious for a lot of people.

[kenny blankenship]

26. Or "morally wrong for other people"

when others have an abortion it's an immoral act. On the other hand, when they themselves have one it's a (regrettable) necessity, the result of an accident because their birth control method failed, or because they were too drunk and/or horny to remember to use birth control, and in any case, nobody else's business.

Americans are very good at maintaining the highest moral standards--for other people. And that is incidentally why we are so well equipped to police the morals of other countries. Our own morals rarely distract us.

[emlev]

17. That's okay--most homosexuals find america immoral, too! EOM

[Booster]

18. It seems most Americans find plain sex immoral. What a country.

[ConsAreLiars]

19. The percentage who accept equal rights has been climbing over the years.

See http://www.pollingreport.com/civil.htm for the details. 39% in favor of gay marriage is way up from years past.

(edit typo)

[bunkerbuster1]

24. This is a problem solved one funeral at a time.

Successive younger generations are far more tolerant and accepting of their gay friends and family.

Older folks are dying out.

I know it's a long, long time coming, and the fascists will try to leverage this remaining hatred for all they can manage in the form of idiotic state Constitutional amendments, but it's doomed, and what's more...


They. Know. It.

Courage!

[LostinVA]

33. And, when polls do not say marriage but domestic partnerships

or whatever... the percentage climbs quite a bit.

And, like I believe anything Gallup says....

[Swamp Rat]

20. I find those Americans, who find homosexuality immoral, immoral

And even more so the ones who voted for Bushler and war.

[leftofthedial]

22. I got news for you. Most Murkans think heterosexuality is immoral

When it comes to sex, most Murkans have broomsticks shoved so far up their asses that they don't even want to bathe naked.

[Nickster]

25. Anyone ask them what homosexuality has to do with them anyways?

If you're not homosexual, then who cares what you think about homosexuality? Why are people so self centered to think their opinions about stuff like this actually matters? Ok you're not gay, you don't like the idea of being gay....good for you! Geez /Grrrr

[JuniperLea]

34. Funny story... Sad story...

I worked for a gay couple for several years. One a high end real estate agent and the other a CPA, EA. They worked out of their beautiful home in very, very gay Long Beach, CA. I spent a lot of time in their home, mostly working:) They were great... they treated me very well as an employee, client and friend. My kids were small and used to come to work with me once in a while... it was mutual admiration all around. They kids loved them dearly and were loved back.

I never mentioned to my kids or my then husband that they were gay. What was the point? It made no difference at all to the relationship. Well, one night they invited me to dress to the nines and go to the symphony. My husband got so jealous... started spouting all manner of weird stuff... so I laid the deal out to him. He shut up, turned red, and that was the last we spoke of the issue.

Years later, both of my dear friends died of opportunistic diseased related to AIDS... When I told my kids about the first death, they were shocked to learn of the disease and the sexual orientation. It was a very thoughtful and question filled afternoon. My daughter was 7 or so at the time and, bless her little heart, lightened the mood when she said, "No wonder Mack liked playing Barbies with me!" Through laughter and tears, I called Mack's partner to relay my daughter's words. We laughed and cried some more. Later, we found one of the Barbie's shoes in Mack's office... his partner treasured that shoe and my young daughter's words... we spoke often of it until the day he died not quite three years later.

That was almost 15 years ago... and I still miss them so much... :cry:

[Nickster]

37. Great story, thanks for sharing. I can understand the husband's response

though,if my wife told me she was going out to something fancy with her male employer, I'd get weird too. Then of course, I'd feel stupid after she filled me in on the details. Hey, we're men, we can't help it.:-)

Your story makes me think of a co-worker friend of mine. This guy was the most upbeat, at least outwardly, person I'd ever met. He was a blast to be around and he convinced me that going to "Your kind of bars" all the time wasn't really fair and that I'd have to go to the gay bar with him and other co-workers in the sake of fairness and all that. Well, I'm an open minded guy and all that, but I'd never dreamed of going to a gay bar. He was a good guy and sincere, so I figured I'd go for him. Anyways, I'm all nervous until we walk in and OMG, it was just like any normal bar. GASP! My friends first words to me at the bar in front of the bartender.....They serve straight drinks here too! SOOOOO....after turning bright red....I order a beer. After a bit of sitting around and BSing I start to notice that a few people are whispering and pointing at me. Guess they heard the "straight drink" comment and wanted to know if I was really straight. I confirmed it for them and then got a...you're the coolest straight guy I ever met. He really helped to open my eyes.

Flash forward a few years....I get a call from another mutual friend....I find out that my gay coworker friend wrapped his car around a telephone pole. He had committed suicide, couldn't deal with the demons. Never had a suspicion that he was depressed or struggling.I still miss him to this day.

[JuniperLea]

43. Laughin and cryin...

Straight drink! Heh!

The things we do to people in this society is criminal. That poor guy.


Ok, gotta tell you this one...

Both bosses had birthdays a week apart, so we held birthday dinners every year. I was always one of maybe two or three straight people there. The group was talking about a Halloween party in Santa Monica and dressing in drag. Well, one of the guys said, it was so funny to see so and so walking in heels in his dotted dress and pulling up his bra strap every few minutes. I said, wait. Hold on. I'm trying to get a mental picture here... was that a polka dot or dotted swiss... all the guys turned their heads and said in unison... "dotted swiss". We laughed til we cried! Finally, one of the guys had enough breath back in him to say, you know you are having dinner with gay guys when they all know the difference between a polka dot and a dotted swiss!

Sweet memories:)


Oh... and we had a few dark giggles when they procured weed to help with the side effects of AZT... sometimes that was the only thing that helped at all... and the munchies sure beat nausea! ;)

[JuniperLea]

28. Thought police...

I think it's more important how people act toward gays than what they think.


There are centuries of religious mind control to fight on this issue... even though "God's Word" tells us he loves us all equally and we must do the same...

[bdamomma]

29. this is just disgusting

that people are this unreasonable about homosexuality. Gays and Mexicans are being singled out who's next? It just really upsets me. I guess Human Rights are not for everybody huh? :sarcasm:

[slackmaster]

30. You all know how dumb the average person is

Half of them are even dumber.

[kentuck]

32. Gallup is a Republican propaganda machine..

eom...

[theHandpuppet]

35. I find war immoral

Can we pass a Consitutional Amendment outlawing it? I'll bet I can cite more Biblical passages against killing than any condemning homosexuality. In fact, I'm sure I can find scores more condemning divorce!

[Sgent]

36. What this poll says (to me)

is that gays ought to start pushing for homosexuality to be added to the Civil Right's Act of '64, and for domestic partnerships (with marrige in selected states).

People have much less "ick" factor with gays being able to compete for jobs, than they do with marrige.

Even in the Civil Right's Movement of the 60's -- the Civil Right's Act was passed in '64 and it was another decade before interracial marrige was legal in many states.

[sweetheart]

38. well who's forcing them

By that, most americans are immoral by putting their noses in to other people's business.

[devilgrrl]

40. Yeah, I so can't stop thinking about how "immoral" it is...

it consumes my day. :sarcasm:

[BlooInBloo]

42. I'm no expert, but that sounds like a mixed bag to me....

... and as such, I would be equally interested to compare to past polls, to get an indication of *trends*.

[Mountainman]

44. I'm sorry, some of us must have been born immoral.

I'll never agree that my sister-in-law and her partner are immoral.

[stepnw1f]

45. I Find Their Judgmental Ignorance to be Immoral

if you are going to hate somebody, at least know them...