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Quinnipiac Poll: 66 Percent Call DADT Discriminatory

February 10, 2010 - U.S. Voters Say Gays In Military Should Come Out, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Voters Want Military Trials For Terror Suspects

Homosexuals should be able to openly serve in the U.S. military, American voters say 57 - 36 percent. Voters also say 66 - 31 percent the current policy of not allowing openly gay men and women to serve is discrimination, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

But by a 54 - 38 percent margin, American voters say gays in the military should face restrictions on exhibiting their sexual orientation on the job, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN- uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.

Voters from military households with an active or reserve member or a veteran in their family split 48 - 47 percent on ending "don't ask; don't tell." Support for repeal is 72 - 23 percent among Democrats and 56 - 37 percent among independent voters. Republicans oppose repeal 53 - 40 percent. Men support repeal 51 - 44 percent; women support it 62 - 29 percent.

On other related questions, American voters say:

82 - 10 percent that the military should stop pursuing disciplinary action against gays who are outed against their will;

65 - 30 percent, including 57 - 38 percent among voters in military families, that ending "don't ask; don't tell" will not be divisive or hurt the ability to fight effectively;

50 - 43 percent that the Pentagon should not provide for domestic partners of gay personnel;

Split 45 - 46 percent on whether heterosexual personnel should be required to share quarters with gay personnel.

"By a solid margin, American voters say go ahead and allow gays to openly serve in the military," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Voters think 2-1 that keeping gays from serving is discrimination. But they are much more mixed on exactly how the transformation of the military will occur and how the Pentagon should adjust to the needs of gay soldiers, sailors and Marines."

"Perhaps surprisingly, there is little difference among age groups on allowing gays to serve openly: 57 percent of those 18 to 34 years old support open service, along with 59 percent of voters 35 to 54 years old and 54 percent of those 55 or older," said Brown.

Terror Trials

American voters say 59 - 35 percent that 9/11 terrorism suspects should be tried in military courts rather than in civilian courts, as currently planned. Voters say 68 - 25 percent that terrorism suspects should not receive all of the constitutional protections afforded by a civilian trial. Democrats prefer civilian courts 48 - 45 percent. Support for military courts is 73 - 23 percent among Republicans and 61 - 33 percent among independent voters.

The suspect who allegedly tried to blow up an airliner on Christmas Day should be tried as an enemy combatant rather than as an ordinary criminal, voters say 76 - 19 percent. But voters approve 52 - 42 percent of the FBI's advice to the suspect of his right to remain silent.

"When it comes to how suspected terrorists should be treated by the American judicial system there is a significant gap between the American people and President Barack Obama," said Brown. "Although they give the President a 49 - 44 percent approval rating on handling terrorism, the devil is in the details. When it comes to his decision to treat suspected terrorists as common criminals deserving of civilian trials rather than as enemy combatants judged by military tribunals they are strongly in the other corner. There is a similar disconnect on the basic question of whether suspected terrorists should have the same rights as ordinary criminals.

"Voters agree, however, with the Obama administration decision to advise the suspect in the Christmas bombing attempt of his right to remain silent."

On another foreign policy matter, support for the war in Afghanistan remains stable and positive. Fifty-six percent of voters say the United States is doing the right thing fighting there, while 37 percent say America should not be there. This compares to 59 - 35 percent support in Quinnipiac University's January 14 survey. Americans approve of Obama's handling of Afghanistan 51 - 39 percent.

From February 2 - 8, Quinnipiac University surveyed 2,617 registered voters nationwide with a margin of error of +/- 1.9 percentage points.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio and the nation as a public service and for research. For more data or RSS feed- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter.

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