3 Responses to “Shifting attitudes towards GLBTs”

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1. Big Mo Says:

   July 11th, 2007 at 10:25 am
   Visit Big Mo

   This also assumes that respondents are telling the truth, too.

   (OT, but did you receive my long e-mail last night?)

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2. Guss Says:

   July 11th, 2007 at 10:37 am
   Visit Guss

   http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/tolerance_release.pdf

   Here is something to chew on.

   Young Americans Support Civil Unions, Marriage, and
   Protections for Gays and Lesbians
   New Survey Finds Youth Overwhelmingly Support
   Equal Protection on Housing, Employment, and Hate Crimes
   Young Americans show strong levels of support for tolerance and equality toward homosexuals, and
   majorities say gays and lesbians should be able to form legal civil unions and get legally married,
   according to a new national survey of 15-25 year olds. And young people overwhelmingly support
   equal protection when it comes to housing, employment, and hate crimes.
   By six-to-one margins, American youth support gay rights and protections related to housing,
   employment, and hate crimes and those sentiments are held by all ideological, partisan, racial,
   geographic, and religious groups. One out of two respondents said they know someone who is gay;
   knowing a gay person has a significant impact on attitudes.
   “The breadth of overall support demonstrates that young adults are doing more than showing simple
   support for fairness and tolerance toward homosexuals,” according to a report on the survey issued
   by Lake Snell Perry, which conducted the survey. “For them, these values transcend the realm of gay
   issues and have become part of their larger view of the way America should look.”
   The survey was sponsored by the Center for Democracy & Citizenship at The Council for Excellence
   in Government and CIRCLE (the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and
   Engagement). It is the largest survey of young people on gay rights issues since last November’s
   Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, when the debate became more prominent in
   Washington, state houses, and across the country.
   The percentage of young people who support and oppose rights for gays and lesbians are:
   Support Oppose
   • equal protection in housing 86% 10%
   • equal protection in employment 85% 14 %
   • protection from hate crimes 85% 13 %
   • civil unions or legal partnerships 63% 30 %
   • ability to legally marry 56% 39 %
   • ability to adopt children 53% 39 %
   Contrary to conventional wisdom, African American and Latino youth are more supportive of
   extending equal protections to gays on housing, employment, and hate crimes than whites. And
   majorities of these young people, although less intense, support civil unions, marriage, and adoption.
   Council for Excellence in Government/CIRCLE
   Youth Attitude Survey
   Page 2
   Majorities of Republican, conservative, and Born-Again Christian youth also support protections on
   housing, employment, and hate crimes, although they oppose gay civil unions, marriage, and
   adoption.
   “These findings compliment other research we’ve done showing that young people are more socially
   tolerant than older generations,” said Peter Levine, CIRCLE’s Deputy Director. “This survey adds
   clear and detailed evidence that the DotNet Generation is the most tolerant and respectful of diversity
   in American history.”
   Among the most intense supporters of housing, employment, and hate crimes protections are those
   who know a gay or lesbian person, women, Democrats and liberals, moderates, and African
   Americans. Among the strongest supporters for family rights, such as civil unions, gay marriages, and
   adoptions, are young people who say they know a gay person, women, and young African Americans.
   “We know that an issue-based appeal is an excellent way to get the attention of young adults,” said
   David Skaggs, Executive Director of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Democracy & Citizenship
   at the Council for Excellence in Government. “This important data suggests an additional way for
   candidates and political organizations to reach this critical voting bloc.”
   “These results confirm what we’ve sensed: that America’s youth – the undeniable leaders of
   tomorrow – are increasingly more supportive of some of the most important issues facing the gay
   community,” said John O’Connor, national director of the Gill Foundation, a funder of the survey. “We
   commend CIRCLE and the Council for Excellence in Government for their leadership in including gay
   issues for the first time in a public policy survey of young people.”
   The survey of 1,000 people between the ages of 15 and 25 was conducted November 17-24, 2003,
   and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent. It was supported by CIRCLE, The Pew Charitable
   Trusts, Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Gill Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and
   the W.T. Grant Foundation.
   # # #
   The Council for Excellence in Government is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to improve the
   performance of government and to enhance American citizens’ understanding of and participation in their
   democracy. Visit the Campaign for Young Voters Toolkit at http://www.campaignyoungvoters.org.
   Funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and Carnegie Corporation of New York, and housed at the University of
   Maryland’s School of Public Affairs, CIRCLE (www.civicyouth.org) is a premier source of impartial, nonpartisan,
   and comprehensive data, research, and analysis on the civic engagement of young people.
   Founded by software entrepreneur Tim Gill, the Gill Foundation’s mission is to secure equal opportunity for all
   people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Founded in 1994, it is the nation’s largest funder of
   lesbian gay bisexual and transgender organizations.

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3. Ayschlay Says:

   July 11th, 2007 at 10:41 am
   Visit Ayschlay

   Big Mo,

   Yep, that is a problem with surveys, for some people will answer in a way that makes them feel better about themselves. For example, in one survey I examined for 2000, a higher percentage of people reported voting than did in the actual vote counts. Or, on questions related to prejudice (like, how willing are to have someone of a different race live next door), people tend to say they wouldn’t mind when in practice they do.