Subject: 32% of Lesbians & Gays Are Pro-Life
From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 1996 23:44:59 -0400

PRO-LIFE ALLIANCE OF GAYS AND LESBIANS

P.O. Box 609001 
Cleveland, Ohio 44109 
216-734-8178

               1995 ABORTION SURVEY RESULTS

INTRODUCTION

It has long been declared that the gay community is a monolithic entity
comprised of ideological robots who spout some standard "party line."
  Educated individuals have come to understand, however, that there is much
greater diversity within groups than between groups.   Members of PLAGAL
chose to launch a study on the pro-choice and pro-life issue to test this
assertion of diversity within the gay community by performing a nation-wide
survey.

METHOD

One major city was targeted with the most intense interview techniques.  That
city, Cleveland, was canvassed at a popular gay festival and meeting, as well
as all organizations of record regardless of political, religious, or gender
affiliation were asked to participate in the survey.  A large portion of
respondents from the East Coast portion of the survey were not included in
the sample space because the actual survey forms were stolen on the day of
collection.

The response to the survey, while rather low, was quite revealing.  The data
presented in the following table does indeed show a great deal of diversity
in terms of demographics as well as opinion.

The survey spread throughout the country by word of mouth as well as by the
intent of the individuals leading the study.  The survey was included in
several nationwide newsletters of gay and bisexual affiliated groups.

CONCLUSION

In the short space allotted here, it would be impossible to adequately
discuss all of the
interrelationships among the data.  Therefore, it will suffice to say that
the purpose of the study, to disprove the notion that the gay community's
stance on abortion can be rattled off in one or two pat sentences, has been
accomplished.

Of particular significance is the fact that a full forty percent of the
respondents stated that abortion is wrong.   Incredibly, the demographics of
the respondents showed virtually  all religion, political, racial , gender,
sexual orientation, and age group were represented.  Again, while the sample
space was by no means randomly selected, it is complex in nature,
demonstrating extreme diversity.  The sample space was distorted to some
degree by the fact that a number of  surveys were stolen (received at a
Boston Gay Pride Festival).  It can be inferred, however, that these surveys
would have only served to further support the initial premise of diversity
within the gay community on the issue of abortion.

This study clearly demonstrates the need for further investigative work on
the subject of gays and the topic of abortion.  The relationships among the
different demographic categories and their individual impact on the outcome
of a study would prove to be fascinating.

Throughout the collection period, it was obvious that the topic of abortion
in the gay community provokes every conceivable emotion known to
humankind--even the emotions that would cause someone to steal surveys in
order to negate the study.   Such an act is obviously provoked by ignorance,
perhaps the same ignorance that causes heterosexuals and other  outsiders to
view the gay community as a monolithic amoral entity devoid of individual
opinion.  Such  ignorance can only be cured by education. It can only be
hoped that the results of this study have in some way added a tiny
grain of knowledge to the world that can be used to educate both gays and
straights alike.

PROFILE:   HOW PEOPLE DESCRIBED THEMSELVES:        311 surveys

CATEGORY		ACTUAL #

Gay                       	149		47%
Lesbian                   	  99		31%
Bisexual                  	  39  		12%
Male                     	132  		42%
Female                   	100  		32%
Straight                  	  28 	 	 9%
Transsexual                    1	less than 1%
Republican                	  41 		13%
Democrat                 	137  		44%
Other                     	  45 		14%
Liberal                   	  89 		28%
Conservative             	  34 		10%
Socialists                	  22 		  7%
Libertarian              	  21 		  6%
African-A                 	  16  		 5%
Asian-A                    	    0  		 0%
Native-A                  	  14  		 4%
Hispanic-A              	     6  		  1%
White                    	   57 		18%
Other                     	   55	  	17%
0-18                      	10   	  	3%
19-25                    	 51 	  	16%
26-40                    	156		50%
41-65                     	73 		23%
66+                        	5   	  	1%
HIV+                      	 6   	  	1%
Atheist                   	16  	  	5%
Agnostic                  	36 		11%
Catholic                  	71 		22%
Protestant                	77  		24%
Jewish                   	 14 		   4%
Other                     	 74		 23%
In this category the following religions were mentioned - Anglican, Baptist,
Brethren, Buddhist, Christian, Christian Science, Deist, Eastern Orthodox,
Eastern Thilos, Episcopalian, Evangelical , Lutheran, Metaphysical , New Age,
Non-Denominational, Pagan, Pentecostal , Spiritual Eclectic, Taoist,
Universalist Unitarian, Wiccan, and Zoroastrian.  They were not counted
individually because each fell below 1%

PRO-LIFE SPECTRUM  (QUESTIONS DERIVED FROM THE ROPER POLL)

Participants were asked to choose the statement that matches their own
personal belief.   Since we were only  interested in the responses from the
gay/lesbian/bi sexual/transgender community, those who responded as straight
were not counted in the calculations below.   Percentages are more than 100%
due to the fact that some individuals checked more than one category.

ACTUAL #	 %	CATEGORY

24		8%	Abortion is wrong (i.e. should be unlawful) under any circumstances.
35          	12%	Abortion is wrong, except to save the life of the mother.
27           	9%	Abortion is wrong, except to save the life of the mother and
in cases of rape and incest.
9		3%	Abortion is wrong, except to save the life of the mother and in cases
of rape, incest, and infant deformity, disease, or retardation.
23           	8%	Abortion is wrong, except to save the life of the mother,
and in cases of rape, incest, and infant deformity, disease, or retardation,
and where the child is unwanted and will not have a good quality of life.
42          	15%	Abortion is permissible for any reason until the fetus can
survive outside the womb.
35      	    	12%	Abortion is permissible for any  reason except to select
the sex (or sexual orientation) of the child.
44            	15%	Abortion is permissible for any  reason the woman chooses,
at anytime during the pregnancy and no legal  restrictions should be imposed,
including parental notification and  --  no delay for informed consent.
56		20%	Abortion is permissible for any  reason the woman chooses, at anytime
during the pregnancy, and no legal restrictions should be imposed, and the
government should pay for the procedure if a woman cannot afford the expense.
 9           	3%	Undecided
11            	4%	Other - People in this category did not fit into any of the
above selections.

9             	3%	Personally felt it was wrong but felt it should be legal.
 Since 3% of those polled wrote this in, we added this to the list and not
under other.