Americans confused about what 'homosexual' means, poll shows

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | February 12, 2010 at 12:28 pm

445 views | 22 Recommendations | 14 comments

Quote

Um, what did they think it meant to serve openly in the last question they just answered affirmatively? (Many Americans seem to believe that "openly" gay service does not just mean that gays could speak honestly about their lives just like straight people, but that they would be allowed to sashay through Camp Pendleton in a pink boa, exempt from wearing a military uniform; perhaps a better phrase than "openly gay service" would be "service with equal honesty."

Nathanial Frank/Huffington Post/Feb 12, 2010

In a recent report from Huffington Post's Nathaniel Frank, it is reported that respondents in the latest New York Times/CBS poll regarding gays in the military and the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy are confused about what 'homosexuality' means as opposed to 'gay'.

Frank notes wryly that 20 years of a thriving gay rights movement has apparently failed to make clear this distinction ( albeit a non-existent one).

Even worse, it is noted that many Americans responding to the poll did not understand what "gays serving openly in the military" meant, and assumed that even with the repeal of DADT, there would still be restraint and secrecy.

Problems with language, syntax, and meaning have been noted for the past decade in even college-eduacted Americans. To be unable to make distinctions between concepts may be the disability fueling much of the current political climate.

Remember the poll taken of enlisted personnel asking them if they felt like invading Iraq? The one that political leaders and military brass used to decide if they should pull the trigger or not? No, because there wasn't one. Sure, the military takes the temperature of its troops to help ensure that whatever action its top-down command structure orders is carried out as effectively as possible. But only when it comes to the equal treatment of gays and lesbians does our country see fit to dole out rights to an oppressed minority by asking permission of the oppressing majority.Now comes word that, after nearly two generations of a vibrant gay rights movement, Americans are somehow confused about what a "homosexual" is, throwing already shaky polling data into disarray just at the time when the military prepares to poll its members about how they feel about gay people. Respondents in a New York Times/CBS News poll expressed significantly less support for lifting "don't ask, don't tell" when asked if "homosexuals" should be allowed to serve openly than when asked (on the same poll) if "gay men and lesbians" should be allowed to serve openly. Um, what did they think they were saying on the last question which asked the exact same thing but using a different word?

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Ben Somebody (not verified)

at 12:56 on February 12th, 2010

Very poor article. Title has nothing to do with the article and the article provides no data to backup the claims.

stejeb

at 13:12 on February 12th, 2010

Ben, I can only assume that you are commenting on something else you read, because that is utter c**p with regard to this article, you...um...didn't take part in the poll did you by any chance?

Susan Marie Kovalinsky

at 13:29 on February 12th, 2010

Thank you. I almost was in a dead faint when I did it up. However, there is indeed a correlation between the title and the post: "Homosexuals in the military" drew less support than "gays in the military". Poll showed this. So what do you mean? Thanks Stejeb for your support. x

Rory Cripps

at 13:30 on February 12th, 2010

Ben Somebody (not verified):

You Ben Nobody! HA! The title has everything to do with the article in my heterosexual and non-biased opinion . . . .

Susan Marie Kovalinsky

at 13:35 on February 12th, 2010

What would I do without such decent men as you and Stejeb, Boggie? thanks : )

Rory Cripps

at 14:37 on February 12th, 2010

I know what you can do without me! HA!

Hugh Askew

at 13:09 on February 12th, 2010

Gay means lighthearted, carefree.

Hence the confusion. Homosexual means angry and disturbed.

'course i had to ask a "progressive" for the definitions, being a bumpkin and all.

Susan Marie Kovalinsky

at 13:37 on February 12th, 2010

When I hear "gay", I think of the 1990s Provincetown hip hop scene. When I hear "homosexual", I think of a 1950s psychiatrist's office.

stejeb

at 13:25 on February 12th, 2010

It's really strange that the USA government feels the need to hold a referendum on it, why don't they just take a look at the fact that this issue doesn't affect, nor divide, military personnel in other countries that already have a no-discrimination policy?

The Huffington Post article linked to this is good reading (I'd certainly recommend it for Ben, if he concentrate for than 4 seconds)

Hugh Askew

at 13:35 on February 12th, 2010

Maybe because we never learned to dip our collective knees to the government, like most others do.

Or perhaps we are just ignorant and backward, eh?

stejeb

at 13:38 on February 12th, 2010

or closely related to our good friend the ostrich.

fdqw (not verified)

at 13:47 on February 12th, 2010

Take a look at the fundamentalist statement above yours.That is why the US isn't moving forward

Hugh Askew

at 14:32 on February 12th, 2010

Horrible isn't it?

You think forward is one direction, I think it is another - and i'm not even a muslim, or a fundamentalist! Nor are my opinions or thinking predicated by the party line, as some so obviously are.