Gays in the military: Is disapproval ... a generational thing?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 7:01PM
As Obama’s plan to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy goes into effect, openly gay men and women will be able to serve their country in the army, air force, navy, and marines.
But many Americans are opposed to homosexuals serving openly in the U.S. armed forces, as we’ve discussed this week. (Scroll down to see which groups disapprove the most.)
How much of the opposition is a generational difference?
Quite a bit, it seems.
Generation is a strong predictor of attitudes about this issue. Young Americans are the most likely to favor gays serving openly, according to the 2009 poll by Pew. Almost 70% approve. The percentage approving drops by generation.
The favorable attitudes of the young jibe with the findings in “UnChristian,” a book about the views of “outsiders”—young Americans outside established Christian institutions. Over 9 of 10 believe Christianity is anti-homosexual. And, most young churchgoers agree. (Click here to jump to our discussion of this book in November 2009.)
Do you think it’s a generational thing?
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