August 11, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States believe their armed forces should not take into account a soldier's sexual orientation, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates released by Newsweek. 68 per cent of respondents believe gays and lesbians should be able to serve openly in the military, up five points since March.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States believe their armed forces should not take into account a soldier's sexual orientation, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates released by Newsweek. 68 per cent of respondents believe gays and lesbians should be able to serve openly in the military, up five points since March.

In 1993, the U.S. government implemented the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy in the armed forces. Under these guidelines, commanders are forbidden from asking a service member about his or her sexual orientation, and troops are required to keep their sexual orientation a secret.

In an editorial published earlier this year in the New York Times, former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff John Shalikashvili voiced his support for a new policy, writing, "I now believe that if gay men and lesbians served openly in the United States military, they would not undermine the efficacy of the armed forces. Our military has been stretched thin by our deployments in the Middle East, and we must welcome the service of any American who is willing and able to do the job."

Last month, former Alaska senator Mike Gravel, who is seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2008, discussed his views on the issue, saying, "I have challenged my fellow candidates to join me in publicly pledging that whoever gets elected, he or she will issue an apology on behalf of the federal government to the 100,000 gays and lesbians who were discharged by the military for their sexual orientation. No other candidate has joined me in that pledge." 51 per cent of respondents say a presidential candidate's position on gay rights would not make much difference in their vote.

Polling Data

Do you think gays and lesbians should or should not be able to serve openly in the military?

	Aug. 2007	Mar. 2007
Yes	68%	63%
No	23%	28%
Don't know	9%	9%

If you knew that a presidential candidate was a strong supporter of gay rights, including same-sex marriages and gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, would that make you more likely or less likely to vote for that candidate?

More likely	12%
Less likely	34%
Not much difference	51%
Don't know	3%

Source: Princeton Survey Research Associates / Newsweek
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,002 American adults, conducted on Aug. 1, 2007. Margin of error is 4 per cent.