Just one month after an historic Supreme Court ruling on sodomy, Americans’ acceptance of homosexuality has plummeted, a new poll shows.
The new USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll released July 28 shows that a plurality of Americans — 49 percent — do not consider homosexuality “an acceptable alternative lifestyle” and that 57 percent are opposed to homosexual civil unions.
The poll of 1,006 adults reverses poll numbers released in May as well as trends from recent years. It also goes against cultural trends showing an ever-increasing promotion of homosexuality in the media and in education circles.
Peter LaBarbera, senior policy analyst with the Culture and Family Institute in Washington, told Baptist Press the poll may indicate that “people are getting sick and tired of the media and Hollywood shoving homosexuality in their faces at every turn.”
Perhaps not coincidentally, the reverse of poll numbers follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling that overturned state anti-sodomy laws. LaBarbera said the Canadian government’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage also might have influenced the poll.
Interestingly, the new poll along with another Gallup poll in mid-July after the Supreme Court ruling show a drop in acceptance of homosexuality:
- In May, by a 59 percent to 37 percent margin, Americans said that homosexual relations between consenting adults should be legal. A poll in mid-July found support for legalization had dropped to 50 percent, with 44 percent opposed. The latest Gallup poll shows an even bigger drop — 48 percent now are for legalization, 46 percent opposed.
- Fifty-four percent of Americans in May said that homosexuality should be considered “an acceptable alternative lifestyle” while 43 percent said it should not be acceptable.
The latest Gallup poll finds that a plurality, 49 percent, believe homosexuality is not an acceptable lifestyle. Forty-six percent say it is acceptable. Americans were split 49 to 49 percent on the issue of civil unions in May, but they are now largely opposed to them — 40 percent in favor, 57 percent opposed.
The Gallup poll taken in mid-July did not ask respondents their opinions on civil unions or on homosexuality being an acceptable lifestyle. Also, the new poll did not ask Americans their opinions about same-sex “marriage.”
In other recent news involving homosexual issues:
The Federal Marriage Amendment has more than 75 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, the Alliance for Marriage announced July 28. The amendment would add language to the U.S. Constitution banning same-sex “marriage.”
On July 24 NBC aired “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” a show in which five homosexual men attempt to teach a heterosexual man about style. The show, which NBC said was airing once on the network, is shown every week on NBC’s cable affiliate, Bravo.
Now Bravo is launching another homosexual-themed program, “Boy Meets Boy,” which Bravo’s Web site says is “television’s first gay dating series.” Besides the obvious, the show has a twist: Some of the men are heterosexual.
A Zobgy poll released July 28 shows that 55 percent of New Jersey citizens support homosexual “marriage” while 41 percent oppose it. The poll bucks national trends which show that a majority of Americans are opposed to same-sex “marriage.”
Like in Massachusetts, homosexual couples in New Jersey are fighting in the courts for the right to “marry.”
The poll was based on a survey of 803 New Jersey likely voters and was commissioned by the New Jersey chapters of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).
New York City will open the nation’s first high school for homosexuals this fall, according to the New York Post. The school, Harvey Milk High School, will have about 100 students.
Conde Nast’s Bride’s magazine, popular among brides-to-be, ran an article on same-sex “weddings” in its September/October edition. It is a first for the magazine and a first for any of the major bridal magazines, The New York Times reported.
The one-page article, clearly favorable to the issue, included no quotes from anyone opposed to the idea of same-sex “marriage.”
The Vatican was scheduled to release a 12-page document July 31 backing traditional marriage and opposing same-sex “marriage,” the Associated Press reported. The document, “Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons,” is intended to instruct bishops on the issue and to call on politicians to oppose homosexual “marriage.”
A bill that would protect “transsexuals” from housing and job discrimination passed the Democrat-controlled California Senate 23–11 on July 24. It already had passed the State Assembly and now goes to the governor.
The bill includes no religious exemption, so Christian businesses — such as bookstores — could be required to hire “transsexuals” and “cross-dressers.”
A spokesman for the Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court told Baptist Press there is no indication as to when the court will hand down its much-anticipated same-sex “marriage” ruling. There is no guarantee that the court will rule this summer. (BP)
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