Data from a new survey from Gallup Polling shows Americans’ views regarding whether some behaviors tracked by Gallup are morally acceptable have notably declined in the last year.
While the new report shows 62% of Americans feel gay or lesbian relations are morally acceptable (2 points lower than last year) — birth control, gambling and cloning animals have all hit record lows this year after holding relatively steady throughout most of the trend. Continue reading “Gallup: 62% Of Americans Say ‘Gay Relations’ Are Morally Acceptable”
June 26 has become such a special day in LGBTQ history in the United States many now view the date as ‘National Gay Pride Day.’ It was on this day in 2003 the U.S. Supreme Court struck down so-called ‘sodomy’ laws which made consensual adult sexual activity in private a crime (Lawrence v Texas). In 2013, SCOTUS invalidated the ‘Defense of Marriage Act’ which prohibited the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages (Windsor v United States). June 26, 2015, was a historic day for LGBTQ people when the high court ruled marriage equality is a constitutional right bringing same-sex marriage to the entire United States (Obergefell v Hodges). Two years later, on June 26, 2017, the Supreme Court the court gave us another win in Pavan v. Smith ruling that the state of Arkansas, by refusing to automatically list both members of a same-sex couple as parents on their children’s birth certificates (which was routinely done for opposite-sex parents), was violating the legal parameters enumerated in Obergefell which declared same-sex couples must be afforded “the constellation of benefits that the State has linked to marriage.” A lot of progress has been made by the LGBTQ community in great part because of changing attitudes about homosexuality, not only in the U.S. but around the world. Pew Research has been tracking public opinion on the acceptance of LGBTQ people since 2002. In its latest survey of 38,426 people in 34 countries, Pew found acceptance is still growing in most of the world, but not everywhere. For instance, from 2013 (the last time Pew polled the question) to 2019, the number of Americans who say homosexuality should be accepted has risen from 60% to 72%. Only 21% said homosexuality should not be accepted by society. Most of Western Europe supports acceptance. Sweden has the highest level of support at 94% followed by The Netherlands (92%), Spain (89%), France (86%), and the UK (86%).
Other countries, while not quite as approving, have shown double-digit increases in support like South Africa (from 32% to 54% support), India (15% to 37%), and Turkey (9% to 25%). But in regions like the Middle East and Africa, some nations offer little support like Kenya (14%) and Tunisia (9%). Israel stands out as an exception in the Middle East with 47% support, although many might have expected that figure to be higher considering the popularity of Pride events in cities like Tel Aviv.
However, the results aren’t all puppies and rainbows. Attitudes in some countries have actually dropped since Pew first began asking the question in 2002. The 2019 survey shows only 14% support in Russia, 9% in Indonesia, and a scant 7% in Nigeria. All of those figures are lower than the 2002 results. Pew Research does note, though, that the Philippines, often seen as a conservative nation in terms of social issues, was found to have 73% acceptance. A country’s wealth seems to have a correlating factor to acceptance as well. Germany, Sweden, and The Netherlands each have a per-capita gross domestic product over $50,000 and all show huge support for LGBTQ people. But poorer countries like Kenya, Ukraine, and Nigeria – all with per-capita GDP under $10K – indicate approval around 14% or lower. For those interested, 32 countries around the world have legalized marriage equality with Costa Rica joining the list last month. (source: Pew Research)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raises an LGBTQ Pride flag From Global News in Canada:
The federal government measured how “comfortable” Canadians felt with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people playing significant roles in their lives, Global News has learned, part of what the government says was a preliminary assessment to better understand the challenges faced by Canada’s LGBTQ2 community.
And the answer, so far, is encouraging: 91.8 percent of those surveyed in a mid-summer poll commissioned by the Privy Council Office said they would be “comfortable” if a next-door neighbor was gay, lesbian or bisexual and that 87.6 percent said they would be “comfortable” if a neighbor was a transgender person.
The holidays can bring you and your significant-other closer even as you cope with the stress of including them in family events. The folks at ForHims.com have come up with some helpful tips for that big moment when you introduce your boo to the family: Tell your parents about your partner:
Have a quick meeting with them without your partner to go over your expectations
Share your partner’s stories and dietary restrictions and hobbies
Set expectations for your partner
Tell your partner about good things about your parents’
Talk to your partner about your parents’ viewpoints and what topics to pay attention to
Help your partner be prepared
Let them know what your family’s dinner etiquette is like
Prepare some answers to some common questions your parents might ask
Exit strategy
Arrange a code word or signal with your S.O. beforehand which means, “I need to get out of here now.”
Have another commitment in mind that you can use as an excuse for escaping
Only commit to visiting for a limited period of time
Final Words: Give it Time All first-time family meetings with your S.O. can bring some anxiety. But, don’t stress out, have patience and be open to understanding different viewpoints.(graphic via ForHims.com)
In this week’s episode of The Randy Report podcast, 
The Republican culture wars against LGBTQ people have begun to take their toll as Gallup Polling shows the number of Americans who feel same-sex relations are morally acceptable has fallen in the past year from 
As we begin Pride Month 2023, GLAAD has released its 
