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CBS News/NYT Poll: Support for Gays in the Military Depends on the Question

Support for Gays in the Military Depends on the Question

February 11, 2010 2:00 PM
Posted by Kevin Hechtkopf

CBS News/New York Times Poll Finds 44 Percent Favor Allowing "Homosexuals" to Openly Serve, but 58 Percent Favor Allowing "Gay Men and Lesbians" to Openly Serve

A new CBS News/New York Times poll finds that the wording of the question is key when it comes to determining whether Americans support allowing gays to serve in the military.

In the poll, 59 percent say they now support allowing "homosexuals" to serve in the U.S. military, including 34 percent who say they strongly favor that. Ten percent say they somewhat oppose it and 19 percent say they strongly oppose it.

But the numbers differ when the question is changed to whether Americans support "gay men and lesbians" serving in the military. When the question is asked that way, 70 percent of Americans say they support gay men and lesbians serving in the military, including 19 percent who say they somewhat favor it. Seven percent somewhat oppose it, and 12 percent strongly oppose it.

When it comes to whether Americans support allowing gays to serve openly, there is also a difference based on the term used. When referred to as "homosexuals," 44 percent favor allowing them to serve openly. When referred to as "gay men and lesbians," the percentage rises to 58 percent.

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