Poll: Acceptance of gays in military grows (75% say being gay should be a-ok)

[Divine Discontent]

Poll: Acceptance of gays in military grows

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25743236

By Kyle Dropp and Jon Cohen
updated 2 hours, 19 minutes ago

Public attitudes about gays in the military have shifted dramatically since President Bill Clinton unveiled what became his administration's "don't ask, don't tell" policy 15 years ago today.

Seventy-five percent of Americans in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll said gay people who are open about their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the U.S. military, up from 62 percent in early 2001 and 44 percent in 1993.

Majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents alike now believe it is acceptable for openly gay people to serve in the U.S. armed forces. Shortly after he took office in 1993, Clinton faced strong resistance to his campaign pledge to lift the military's ban on allowing gay people to enlist. At that time, 67 percent of Republicans and 75 percent of conservatives opposed the idea. A majority of independents, 56 percent, and 45 percent of Democrats also opposed changing the policy.

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Woohoo!



More California Issue 8 at - - - www.cafepress.com/votenoon8

[bluestateguy]

1. I hope Obama could find a way to do this by executive order

And not have to get the approval of those paper-pushing pinheads in Congress.

[Loudmxr]

2. Here is the one question I would love to ask the Repugs.

Ala Brit Hume hypothetical. A secret message comes in from Osama Bin Laden. It gets handed to a translator. The translator is gay.

Do you throw him/her out of the military BEFORE or AFTER he/she translates the message?

:nuke:

[MNBrewer]

3. It was only a matter of time

The tide is moving in the direction of equality. DOMA and DADT are doomed eventually.

[xchrom]

4. uh yeah -- this war has shown people that the military actually NEEDS

people who really want to serve.

they can put two and two together -- military has problems meeting recruitment goals -- and there are gay folk who want to serve openly.