(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - More adults in the United States believe homosexuals who publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military, according to a poll by TNS released by ABC News and the Washington Post. 75 per cent of respondents agree with this rationale, up 29 points since May 1993.

In addition, 78 per cent of respondents believe homosexuals who do not publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military.

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 last 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."

Earlier this month, Democratic California congresswoman Ellen Tauscher called for the end of the "Don’t ask, don’t tell" policy, saying, "Politicians are well known for not wanting to take a position until they have to. But I’m confident that under the right political environment, with the right president (...) we’ll have all conditions that will be right for us to pass the repeal and have the president sign it."

Polling Data

Do you think homosexuals who do publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military or not?

On another subject, do you think homosexuals who do not publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military or not?

Source: TNS / ABC News / Washington Post
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,119 American adults, conducted from Jul. 10 to Jul. 13, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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