Public 'Tolerance' of Gay Rights Makes a Comeback

According to a recent “Values and Beliefs” survey conducted by Gallup, public “tolerance” toward gay rights has made a bit of a comeback.

When Americans were first asked in 1977 whether gay relations should be legal, just 43 percent of respondents answered in the affirmative. By the middle of 2003, the number had jumped to 60 percent, only to plummet (to 50 percent) after the Supreme Court struck down a Texas sodomy law in June of that same year.

Last year, the number of Americans who said gay relationships should be legal increased once again to 56 percent, and this year it reached 59 percent, similar to the 2003 high point.

According to the results of that most recent Gallop survey, s similar pattern can be seen when looking at attitudes about whether gayness should be sanctioned as an “acceptable alternative lifestyle.”