Harris Polls

The Harris Poll® #26, April 15, 2004
Support for Adoption by Same-Sex Couples Has Increased Substantially, But Plurality of Public Still Opposes It

* A 43% to 36% plurality disapproves of the adoption by a female same-sex couple and a slightly larger, 45% to 33% plurality, disapproves of a male same-sex couple adopting a child.

* However, these numbers have changed very substantially over the last eight years. In 1996, only 16% of the public approved of adoption by a female same-sex couple and only 15% approved of adoption by a male same-sex couple.

* A 2-to-1 majority (51% to 27%) believes that if a child is being raised by same-sex couple and one parent is the biological parent, the other parent should be allowed to adopt the child to ensure that both adults are legal parents. Among adults who are lesbian, gay or bisexual, a lopsided 92% to 2% majority agree with this. Among heterosexuals a 48% to 29% plurality agrees.

* Almost everyone (by 90% to 5%) agrees that children who are raised by same-sex couples should have all the same rights and entitlements as other children.

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=455



The Harris Poll® #25, April 14, 2004
Strong Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage, But Those Who Approve Have Increased Substantially

# A 50% to 27% plurality disapproves of same-sex marriage between two women. However, this is substantially less than the 55% to 16% majority who felt this way in 2000 and the even larger 63% to 11% majority in 1996.

# An almost identical 51% to 26% majority disapproves of same-sex marriage between two men. Again, this is a big change from the 57% to 15% majority who felt this way in 2000 and the 64% to 10% majority who held this opinion in 1996.

# Unsurprisingly the attitudes of people who themselves are gay, lesbian or bisexual are very different. Seventy-one percent of them (compared to only 24% of heterosexuals) think that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, as opposed to having only a civil union or neither of these.

# Those who favor allowing same-sex marriage increases somewhat when people are asked how they would feel if their own sons or daughters were gay or lesbian. Under these circumstances 36% would want their child to be allowed to have a same-sex marriage, compared to 48% who would not.

# In response to another question, 41% of adults agree that "not allowing same-sex couples to marry goes against a fundamental American right that all people should be treated equally," while 47% disagree.

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=454



The Harris Poll® #42, July 30, 2003
A 72% to 19% majority agrees with the decision that "it is not illegal for consenting adults to have homosexual sex in their own homes."

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=391



The Harris Poll® #61, November 13, 2002
Workplace Discrimination Against, and Jokes About, African Americans, Gays, Jews, Muslims and Others
Discrimination against several, but not all, minority groups, including women, is believed to be widespread

* Fully 50% of African Americans feel that blacks are "often" victims of workplace discrimination, but only 18% of all adults believe this to be true.

* Almost half of gays and lesbians and bisexual adults (45%) feel that they, as a group, are often discriminated against at work. Nearly a third of all adults (29%) perceive this level of discrimination against gays and lesbians.

* Relatively few people perceive Jews (5%), Asian Americans (5%), Hispanic Americans (12%) or Muslims (14%) as frequent targets of discrimination. Only one of these groups is large enough to be analyzed separately; relatively few Hispanics (16%) believe their group is often discriminated against.

* Over a quarter of women (27%) believe they are frequent victims of discrimination.

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=340


THE HARRIS POLL #27, June 13, 2001

By More than 2-to-1 Most Americans Favor Legislation to Prohibit Job Discrimination Against Gays and Lesbians
Many people wrongly believe that federal laws already exist

* 42% of adults when asked said that they thought that a federal law banning job discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation already exists. Many people (33%) admitted they did not know. Only 25% gave the correct answer that no such law exists. The LGBT population is better informed; 47% - but only 47% - gave the correct answer.

* The majorities who favor federal legislation to ban job discrimination against gays and lesbians closely vary from 58% to 29%, in reply to one question, to 61% to 24% for another and 61% to 20% for a third question.

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=236



THE HARRIS POLL #9, February 9, 2000
ATTITUDES TO GAYS AND LESBIANS HAVE BECOME MORE ACCEPTING, BUT MOST PEOPLE STILL DISAPPROVE OF SINGLE-SEX MARRIAGES AND ADOPTION BY SAME SEX COUPLES
Public split on whether sexual orientation can be changed.

* The majority who favor it being illegal to discriminate against gays and lesbians has increased from 52% to 41% in 1998 to 56% to 34% now.

* Opposition to single-sex male marriages, while still very strong, is down from 63% to 11% in 1996 to 55% to 16% now.

* Opposition to single-sex female marriages is down from 64% to 10% in 1996 to 55% to 16% now.

* Opposition to adoption by female couples is also still strong but has declined from 61% to 16% in 1996 to 56% to 22% now.

* Opposition to adoption by male couples has declined from 65% to 15% in 1996 to 57% to 21% now.

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=1