Martin D. Goodkin

Profile

Username:
greatmartin
Name:
Martin D. Goodkin
Location:
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Birthday:
02/29
Status:
Single
Job / Career:
Other

Stats

Post Reads:
690,871
Posts:
6133
Photos:
2
Last Online:
> 30 days ago
View All »

My Friends

10 days ago
> 30 days ago
> 30 days ago
> 30 days ago
> 30 days ago
> 30 days ago
> 30 days ago
> 30 days ago

Subscribe

Gay, Poor Old Man

News & Issues > And We Are More Politically Active Than Nongays!
 

And We Are More Politically Active Than Nongays!

Survey shows gays ‘ignorant’ about basic rights issues
Majority of respondents flunk test on U.S. laws

JOSHUA LYNSEN
Friday, May 02, 2008

Few gay Americans understand their basic rights, according to an analysis released this week.

Based on the responses of 768 gays, lesbians and bisexuals to a national poll given in November, the analysis found that most respondents could not correctly answer four questions regarding their state and federal rights.

“I think ‘ignorant’ is the right word, unfortunately,” said Pat Egan, an assistant professor of politics at New York University who is gay and helped write the analysis.

The poll by City University of New York’s Hunter College asked whether same-sex marriages were legal in the respondent’s state, if the U.S. Constitution bans same-sex marriage, whether gays can serve openly in the U.S. military and if there’s a federal law barring the firing of workers based on their sexual orientation.

Egan said only 38 percent of poll respondents answered all four questions correctly.

“On one hand, that doesn’t surprise us,” he said. “On the other, we would have liked to see these numbers a little higher.”

According to the analysis, 94 percent of respondents knew whether same-sex marriage was legal in their state, 78 percent knew the U.S. Constitution does not ban same-sex marriage, 82 percent knew they could not serve openly in the military and 59 percent knew there’s no federal law that bars workers from being fired based on their sexual orientation.

“So only six in 10 lesbians, gays and bisexuals know there is no national law protecting them from employment discrimination,” he said. “Considering this has been the top priority for advocates in Washington for the past 20 years, that is pretty astounding and disappointing.”

Marty Rouse, national field director for Human Rights Campaign, said he was “discouraged” by the finding and that it demonstrated the need for further education.

The findings come despite information that shows gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans are more politically active than the general population.

Egan said 33 percent of the poll’s gay, lesbian and bisexual respondents indicated they were “very interested” in politics, compared to 22 percent in the general population.

The poll’s respondents were likelier than people in the general population to have engaged in some kind of political activity during the preceeding year.

According to the analysis, gays, lesbians and bisexuals were 7.6 percent likelier to have contacted a government official, 6.9 percent likelier to have attended a protest or rally and 3.6 percent likelier to give money to a campaign.

Egan said the increased political participation could be attributed at least partly to the coming out process, which the poll showed greatly changed many gays, lesbians and bisexuals who responded.

“There’s something politically transformative about this period that people have long suspected,” he said. “Now we’re nailing down the changes that are happening during this period.”

That period was defined in the poll as the time between a respondent’s earliest coming-out experience, often when the individual first thought he or she might be gay, and the latest such experience, usually when the person first told someone he or she is gay.

According to the analysis, respondents tended to become less religious, more liberal and more interested in politics during this time, although many reported no change.

The analysis, released Wednesday, came about through ongoing review of the Hunter College poll conducted in November. It was authored by Egan; Ken Sherrill, a Hunter College political science professor; and Murray Edelman, a Rutgers College scholar and former editorial director of Voter News Service.

Other new findings from the poll, which was funded by HRC and controlled by Hunter College, showed the respondents’ priorities for gay civil rights issues.

According to the analysis, gay, lesbian and bisexual respondents generally placed laws regarding workplace discrimination hate crimes as their top issues. Efforts toward ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and securing rights for transgender people scored the lowest.

Respondents 18-25 years old indicated that marriage and adoption rights were the top issues, while respondents 65 years and older noted laws regarding hate crimes and workplace discrimination were most important.

posted on May 3, 2008 2:39 PM ()

Comments:

Part of the reason for ignorance is because the laws vary so much that people don't know where and what anything is legal, illegal, pending, etc. It can be confusing to people, especially those without a personal interest.

Another reason, and it borderlines being an excuse, is that the younger generation (high school and college age, for instance) are still much more focused on coming out and/or socializing (their liberating "freedom"), while young adults (ages 25-35) may know some laws but know they will not focus on any because of a chosen inactive role for fear of losing employment or other necessities, while middle-agers start becoming more aware but may not have the scheduling freedom or job security to "get involved" actively, while older individuals may not be physically (or mentally) up to it or have become tired and settled-in with whatever life they have. It's not to say that none have an interest, it's just that many don't take the interest to a higher level.
comment by donnamarie on May 7, 2008 12:17 PM ()
My friend once told me after I had told him I was "for" gay marriage that he would not pick a candidate for anything based on their views about gay marriage. Not because he was against it but because he does not have a dog in that fight. He said I am straight that law does not effect me one way or another.

Jut an example of what many of the average joes think. It is not a matter of like or dislike just they do not care one way or another because it does not effect them.

I think all the discrimination policies should be handles on a state or local level like all laws a reflection of what the people who live there want. I hope that does not make me a bad person in your eyes. I think the federal government should stick to the protecting us.
comment by mmmhollywould on May 4, 2008 8:13 AM ()
Well, my comment disappeared again! What I was saying was that there should be no discrimination of any group here in the USA. This was a country that was founded on equality. I think everyone should know of his/ her rights, especially since it impacts us legally... inheritance, health care, things like this...
comment by sunlight on May 3, 2008 9:29 PM ()
I had no idea about the law about being fired if you are gay! I thought that one had been wiped out a long time ago!
comment by elkhound on May 3, 2008 5:14 PM ()
I know some of our rights,but not all of them.
You are right in thispost.A lot of them do not know their
rights and I am one of them.So where does this leave me?
Do I care of not?this is confusing to say,I do care and
then I do not care.
comment by fredo on May 3, 2008 2:50 PM ()

Comment on this article   


6,133 articles found   [ Previous Article ]  [ Next Article ]  [ First ]  [ Last ]