Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 16:49:03 -0500 From: Song Weaver Subject: Interesting COLORADO POLL (Denver Post article) "Poll: Public Sends Mixed Messages" by Fred Brown, Denver Post Political Editor Denver Post, 12/15/93, p. 14A Coloradans have a seemingly contradictory logic about gay rights. They favor Amendment 2, which outlaws gay-rights laws by a bigger margin now than they did a year ago. But at the same time, they think there ought to be laws protecting homosexuals from discriminatory treatment. In the latest Denver Post/News 4 Poll, 71 percent agreed that "it should be against the law for an employer to fire an employee just because he or she is a homosexual." Smaller numbers agreed that it should be illegal to refuse to hire a gay or lesbian (57 percent) or to refuse to rent to a homosexual man or woman (56 percent). And yet, only 37 percent in an earlier poll--in October--told the same pollster they'd vote to repeal Amendment 2; 58 percent said they'd vote to keep it. Amendment 2, which passed 53 percent to 47 percent in November 1992, made it illegal for Colorado state or local governments to enact or enforce laws specifically protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination. It was ruled unconstitutional yesterday in Denver District Court, but the ruling is being appealed. Throughout the months of debate and public-opinion sampling on Amendment 2, it has been clear that Coloradans are convinced that they were voting against "special rights" for gays and lesbians, not that they were voting against laws to protect homosexuals from discrimination. Paul Talmey of Talmey-Drake Research & Strategy Inc., the Boulder firm that does the Post/News 4 Poll and has been following the Amendment 2 controversy for more than a year, thinks he finally has come up with an analogy that explains why people apparently are of two minds about gay rights. "Imagine someone being fired because they were left-handed, and it had nothing to do with the job," Talmey says. "People feel that ought to be against the law. But if you turn it around and say, 'Let's have a law that protects left-handed people,' the response is, 'What are you talking about?'" Talmey also cited earlier survey data showing that "People don't think the homosexual-rights movement has anything to do with employment rights or tenant rights. They think it has to do more with making homosexuality acceptable." The latest poll that included gay-rights questions was conducted Nov. 24 - Dec. 2 and consisted of 601 random telephone interviews with Colorado adults. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. [Inset] GAY RIGHTS * It should be against the law for an employer to fire an employee just because he or she is a homosexual. Agree Disagree Don't Strongly Somewhat Neutral Somewhat Strongly Know 54% 17% 3% 8% 15% 4% * Gay rights groups are some of the most politically powerful groups in the country. Agree Disagree Don't Strongly Somewhat Neutral Somewhat Strongly Know 22% 26% 4% 25% 15% 8% * It should be against the law for an employer not to hire someone because he or she is a homosexual. Agree Disagree Don't Strongly Somewhat Neutral Somewhat Strongly Know 42% 15% 5% 12% 22% 4% * There should be a law that prohibits a landlord from refusing to rent to someone because he or she is a homosexual. Agree Disagree Don't Strongly Somewhat Neutral Somewhat Strongly Know 39% 17% 4% 15% 23% 2% Source: Talmey-Drake Research & Strategy Inc. 601 random telephone interviews with Colorado adults Nov. 24-Dec. 2, 1993. Margin of error plus or minus 4%.