Massive Support For Gays In Military Poll Shows
by Paul Johnson
365Gay.com Newscenter
Washington Bureau Chief

(Washington, D.C.) A new poll has found that 79 percent of all Americans believe that gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military. 

The CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, which was conducted December 5-7, 2003, surveyed 1,004 adults. Survey participants were asked, "Do you think people who are openly gay or homosexual should - or should not - be allowed to serve in the U.S. military?"

In the 18-29 year age range, 91 percent said that gays should be allowed to serve openly. Those aged 30-49, 50-64, and 65 and over were 81, 74, and 68 percent respectively. 

Seventy-three percent of men, and 85 percent of women, responded affirmatively.

The numbers show a significant improvement over earlier polls.

An August, 2003 Fox News poll found that 64 percent of the public believed that gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military. Previously, a 2001 survey published by MIT Press found that 56 percent of civilian respondents believed that gays should be allowed to serve openly.

 "After ten years of Don't Ask, Don't tell, the public understands that discrimination undermines military effectiveness," said  Geoffrey Bateman, Assistant Director of the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military (CSSMM) at the University of California, Santa Barbara

Bateman said the shift in public opinion may reflect ongoing concern about the firing of gay Arabic language specialists during the war on terror. (story)

Over the past two years the military has fired 37 linguists for being gay.

Earlier this month two brigadier generals and a rear admiral, all retired, came out to mark the 10th anniversary of "don't ask, don't tell". (story)

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