OK. This one's being reported a couple of places. This is Wayne Besen's post, and I have a distinct problem with the poll.
Not the results, but the conceptualization:
Today, 57 percent of the American public believes homosexuality should be sanctioned as an acceptable alternative lifestyle
What is this "lifestyle" bullshit?
Besen doesn't link to the poll, so I don't know if that's his phrase or theirs. Checking. . . checking. . . . Hah! Jim Burroway does link, and it's Gallup's terminology.
OK -- it's good news. Not perfect news, but good news. Until the next favorable court decision, I guess (note the backlash after Lawrence).
However. . . .
I most vehemently object to the use of the term "lifestyle," which is, after all, a usage invented by the radical, anti-gay, Christianist right and is not descriptive of anything at all. (Except maybe Peter LaBarbera's fantasy life.) "Lifestyle" is not equivalent to "sexual orientation." Period. "Gay lifestyle" is a semantic nullity.
And I bet, if the question were phrased without that term -- well, I'd like to see what they ask in its place. "Do you think homosexuality is an acceptable alternative genetic heritage?" Yeah, right. I'd lvoe to see the answers to that question.
I also have problems with the "morally acceptable" question, but that's simply because of my own thoughts on what morality actually is.
That said, take this as an indicator of something I've noted time and again: the Dobson Gang is fighting history and losing. All the propaganda is useless. Granted, it's not a question the poll addresses, but the results (which are, after all the important part) say to me that most people in this country are immune to the anti-gay Christianists. (Which leads to the delightful picture of Rudy McRomney bashing gays to win the votes of 28% of the minority party. Love it. So maybe Democratic McCandidates should think about that.)
So it's even better news than we thought.
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