Subject: Poll Finds Americans Increasingly Support Equal Rights For Gays

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 12:15:33 -0500

________________________________________________________

NEWS from the
Human Rights Campaign

1101 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
email:  [email-masked]
<A HREF="http://www.hrcusa.org">
WWW:    http://www.hrcusa.org
</A>
________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 1996
                                
POLL FINDS AMERICANS INCREASINGLY SUPPORT EQUAL RIGHTS FOR GAYS
                          AND LESBIANS
                                
   Angry Same-Sex Marriage Debate Had Little Impact on Elections
                                
WASHINGTON -- Americans favor extending many of the components of
legal marriage to gay men and lesbians, according to a poll
released today by Greenberg Research Inc., commissioned by the
Human Rights Campaign.

     The survey, conducted immediately after the elections, found
that more than half of U.S. voters support full hospital
visitation rights;  protecting gay and lesbian parents from
having their children taken away; health care benefits; and
inheritance rights for gay and lesbian spouses.

     And in spite of the divisive public debate on same-sex
marriage this year, few voters cast their ballots based on gay
and lesbian issues, according to the poll.
 
     "Even more encouraging is the continued strong support for
outlawing job discrimination against gays," said David M. Smith,
HRC's communications director.
 
     Indeed, the survey found that voters were significantly more
concerned about the agenda of religious political extremists (41
percent) than that of gay and lesbian groups (24 percent).

     Plus, the poll found continued strong support for the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a bill to outlaw job
discrimination based on sexual orientation.
 
     "This survey shows that Americans are  increasingly
supportive of extending equal rights to gay men and lesbians, not
only in the workplace but to our committed relationships as
well," Smith said.

     On the subject of ENDA, voters were asked whether they
favored the bill to "extend civil rights protections in the
workplace to cover gays and lesbians." Fifty-five percent said
they favored it while 30 percent said they were opposed.

     When the question was reframed to explain that there are no
federal laws to protect gays from job discrimination, 63 percent
said they favored the bill and 26 percent said they opposed it.

     The poll found that 85 percent of voters believe that it is
illegal to fire a person merely for being gay or lesbian, up from
70 percent in a poll conducted for HRC in February 1995.

     At the same time, 70 percent of respondents said they
believe gays and lesbians should be protected from discrimination
in the workplace, consistent with poll results from two years
ago.

     This support for workplace protection extends to teachers,
who voters believe should be protected by a 2-1 margin, 62
percent to 31 percent.

     Voters were evenly split over whether President Clinton's or
Bob Dole's positions on same-sex marriage and gay issues were
important. However, 40 percent of those surveyed said they agreed
more with Clinton on gay issues while 31 percent said they agreed
with Dole.

     More than half of all voters were in favor of extending many
of the legal components of marriage to gay and lesbian couples,
according to the poll. There was nearly universal support -- 82
percent -- for full hospital visitation rights for gay partners. 
 Sixty-two percent said they support inheritance rights for gay
spouses; 54 percent favor protecting gay and lesbian parents from
having their children taken away; 51 percent support health care
benefits for gay spouses; and 46 percent back Social Security
benefits for gay spouses. 

     Yet the poll found that 55 percent support the Defense of
Marriage Act, a federal law
enabling states to ignore same-sex marriages performed in other
states.
     "Voters continue to be torn by this issue," Smith said.
"This poll clearly illustrates that most people would like to see
gay and lesbian couples afforded the components of legal marriage
but they continue to oppose allowing gay people to legally wed."

     Voters also voiced support for AIDS research funding.
Sixty-nine percent of those surveyed said they believe the
government should provide AIDS drugs to those who need them but
can't pay.

     Finally, the percentage of people who say they know someone
gay continues to grow. A total of 72 percent of those surveyed
said they know someone gay or lesbian, compared to 66 percent in
a Newsweek poll conducted in May, and 53 percent in February 
 1994.

     The survey of 1,007 voters was conducted Nov. 5-8 for HRC by
Greenberg Research Inc., a Democratic polling firm based in
Washington. It had an error margin of plus or minus 3.1
percentage points.

             The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national
lesbian and gay political organization, with members throughout
the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign
support and educates the public to ensure that lesbian and gay
Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in 
the community.

For the complete poll and frequency data check out HRC's Online Action Center
http://www.hrcusa.org.

AOL users can click here:
<A HREF="http://www.hrcusa.org">
WWW:    http://www.hrcusa.org
</A>

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