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Newsweek Poll: Voters OK
Gay & Lesbian Candidacies Lecture

Encouraging Results are Reflected Across Party Lines

Includes Belief that Job Opportunities Must be Equalized

Compiled By GayToday

Washington, D.C.--A new Newsweek poll cited in the magazine's March 20 issue found encouraging results for gay and lesbian office seekers, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. The survey found that by a margin of 71 to 24 percent, Americans believe that gay and lesbian people should be "hired" to serve as "major political office holders."

The poll found that clear majorities of even the most conservative Americans believe that gay and lesbian people should hold major political office, and that there should be equal rights for gay men and lesbians in terms of job opportunities. This widespread support was found despite the fact that Americans remain divided in their beliefs about whether homosexuality is a sin.

"Across party lines and religious denominations, Americans overwhelmingly agree that elected officials should be judged on their abilities, not their personal orientation," said Brian K. Bond, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which works to elect qualified openly gay and lesbian candidates to public office.

"It is indeed heartening that nearly three out of four Americans are open to gay and lesbian people holding major political office. Clearly, hurdles remain, as nearly one in four Americans say they are not comfortable with gay people holding public office. But overall, despite their disagreements on other gay and lesbian issues, the breadth of support for gay and lesbian office holders and for equal rights on the job is very encouraging."

Among the Newsweek poll findings:

Republicans agree by more than two to one (65 percent to 31 percent) that gay and lesbian Americans should be hired as major political office holders. Republicans also agree by more than four to one (80 percent to 18 percent) that gay people should have equal rights in terms of job opportunities.

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Conservatives agree by nearly two to one (62 percent to 33 percent) that gay and lesbian Americans should be hired as major political office holders. Conservatives also agree by nearly four to one (76 percent to 20 percent) that gay people should have equal rights in terms of job opportunities.

Independents, the most sought after "swing" voters needed to win any general election, agree by more than three to one (73 percent to 22 percent) that gay and lesbian Americans should be hired as major political office holders. Independents also agree by an overwhelming margin of eight to one (83 percent to 10 percent) that gay people should have equal rights in terms of job opportunities.

Moderates agree by three to one (72 percent to 24 percent) that gay and lesbian Americans should be hired as major political office holders. Moderates also agree by an astounding margin of about nine to one (85 percent to 9 percent) that gay people should have equal rights in terms of job opportunities.

"These findings are especially important since job discrimination based on sexual orientation remains legal in 39 states, and since the gay and lesbian community largely remains without open representation in our government," added Bond.

"Public opinion clearly favors our attempts to increase our community's representation and to end discrimination on the job. This is all the more noteworthy given the fact that the American people remain sincerely divided in their beliefs about whether or not homosexuality is a sin. Americans understand that people of faith can disagree without being disagreeable and without discriminating against one another. Our nation's cherished commitment to religious freedom would be rendered completely hollow if everyone had to share the same beliefs in order to be free from persecution. This polling data reaffirms that our movement's challenge is not so much to change people's personal beliefs about sexual orientation; it is to motivate Americans to act on their existing beliefs in non-discrimination."

The Newsweek poll was performed by Princeton Survey Research Associates, which surveyed a random sample of 803 adults on March 9 and 10, 2000. The poll's margin of error for the total sample is plus or minus 4 percent.

The Newsweek findings echo results of a May 1999 national poll commissioned by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Foundation and conducted by The Feldman Group, an independent survey research firm. That study found that a strong bipartisan majority (77 percent) of voters are willing to consider gay and lesbian candidates for state legislature and Congress including 65 percent of Republicans, 85 percent of Democrats and 81 percent of independents, as well as 64 percent of fundamentalist Christians, 81 percent of mainline Protestants and 87 percent of Catholics.

As with the new Newsweek survey, support for equal rights in the workplace was also very strong. On both issues, the breadth of support across party lines and religious denominations was found to be particularly striking. The Victory Foundation-sponsored poll surveyed 1,000 voters likely to participate in the 2000 elections, and was conducted March 29 to April 2, 1999. Its overall margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percent.