Opinions of Military Personnel on Sexual Minorities in the Military
Publication Type: Whitepaper
Source: Zogby International John Zogby, John Bruce, Rebecca Wittman, and Sam Rodgers. Please click here to download this document as a PDF. John Zogby, President and CEO John Bruce, Vice President and Systems Administrator Rebecca Wittman, Vice President and Managing Editor
Sam Rodgers, Writer
December, 2006
© 2006 Zogby International
Table Of Contents
Subject Page
I. Methodology and Sample Characteristics 2
II. Executive Summary 5
III. Narrative Analysis 8
Tables
1. Intra-Unit Leadership And Cooperation 12 2. Impact Of Gay/Lesbian Presence On Unit Morale 17 3. Assumed Impact Of Gay/ Lesbian Presence On Unit Morale 18 4. Arguments For Keeping Gays/Lesbians From Serving 23 5. Arguments For Allowing Gays/Lesbians To Serve 24
I. Methodology and Sample Characteristics
Methodology
Zogby International conducted online interviews of 545 U.S. Military Personnel who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan (or in combat support roles directly supporting those operations), from a purchased list of U.S. Military Personnel. The online poll ran from 10/24/06 through 10/26/06. The margin of error is +/- 4.3 percentage points. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. Slight weights were added to age and race to more accurately reflect the population. Data used in weighting was obtained from official Department of Defense (DOD) resources. The panel used for this survey is composed of over 1 million members and correlates closely with the U.S. population on all key profiles. The panel uses a double opt-in format through an invitation only method. Panelists are sourced through a variety of commercial enterprises and all recruitment methodologies fully comply with CASRO guidelines. Each panelist is defined by over 400 variables, therefore making the panel highly segmented and fully representative of the US and military population.
* Numbers have been rounded to the nearest percent and might not total 100.
II. Executive Summary
This survey of current and recent military service personnel who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan (or in combat support roles directly supporting those operations) sought to explore the issue of sexual minorities in the United States military, specifically within the context of three key areas – the size and characteristics of the gay and lesbian population in the military, the views of service personnel regarding the subject, and finally, the impact of gays and lesbians on the military.
Population Within Service Unit
By interviewing military personnel who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan (both those who have served and are serving currently), we were able to capture a snapshot of the current military environment with respect to this issue. Our survey included respondents from all service branches as well as Active Duty Personnel, Veterans and Reservists. The sample also included combat and non-combat units as well as enlisted men and officers.
The overall attitude of these service members was optimistic. Large majorities report being well-trained, well-equipped and battle ready. Additionally, most respondents believe that their leadership (both Non-Commissioned Officers and Commissioned Officers) was excellent and they report feeling a high level of teamwork exists within their unit.
Regarding the presence of gays and lesbians in their units, a near majority (45%) states that they suspect a member of their unit is homosexual. Roughly one-third (31%) does not suspect a member of their unit. Higher rates of suspicion were found among Reservists (60%), Navy Personnel (59%) and Females (56%). The lowest rates were found among Air Force Personnel (38%) and Officers (33%). When asked how many unit members they suspected, two-thirds of respondents (68%) said less than three.
Respondents were also asked if the knew of any members within their unit who were gay or lesbian. Here, less than one quarter (23%) said they were definitely aware. Of those who were, three-in-five (59%) report having been directly told by the individual. When asked how many they knew within their unit, the vast majority (75%) reported knowing two or less. A majority (55%) also notes that the presence of gays and lesbians is well-known within their unit.
Opinions On Homosexuality
Asked whether they agree that gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve in the military, respondents were closely split with a plurality (37%) disagreeing with the idea, and 26 percent agreeing they should be allowed.
Of those agreeing with their inclusion, certain demographic groups represented higher than average support. Among those were Independents, African-Americans, Women, those aged 25-34, and Women. These subgroups were largely more supportive of gays and lesbians in every question, with Democrats and Hispanics also frequently representing more open views toward gays in the military.
Within military subgroups, veterans and those having served less than 4 years were also more likely to support the idea of inclusion within the military, while Active Duty Personnel, Officers, and those having served 15 or more years were less likely to agree. There was slight variance among service branches, and this variance has been noted where applicable.
Three-quarters of those surveyed stated that they felt comfortable around gays and lesbians and four-in-five (78%) noted that they would join the military regardless of their open inclusion. Additionally, a majority (52%) reports having received some form of anti-gay harassment training, with Air Force personnel representing the highest level of training (62%) and the Marine Corps the lowest (34%).
Perceived Impact
Of those who were certain that a member of their unit was gay or lesbian, two-thirds did not believe that their presence created an impact on either their personal morale (66%) or the morale of their unit (64%). Approximately one-quarter of that group believed there to be a negative impact to both.
In contrast, of those who do not suspect the presence of gays or lesbians within their unit, only half (49%) perceive no impact on personal morale, and only less than one-third (26%) feel there would be no impact on their unit’s morale. Regarding their unit’s morale, a majority of this group (58%) believes if there were gays or lesbians within their unit, there would be a negative impact.
Given a set of arguments both for and against allowing gays in the military, respondents were asked to choose those that were the strongest. The most widely selected arguments for keeping gays and lesbians from serving centered on the threat of their presence undermining the unit (40%) or the threat of harm befalling them (28%).
When given the arguments in support of allowing their inclusion, the two most selected arguments were the irrelevance of sexual orientation to job performance (39%) and the morality of discriminating based on sexual orientation (30%). Additionally, one-in-five respondents (21%) believed there to be no strong arguments for the exclusion of homosexuals, while one-in-five (19%) believe there to be no strong arguments in their favor.
Overall, this survey paints a mixed picture for the future of gays and lesbians in the military. While overwhelming majorities of those responding display tolerance and understanding of the rights and issues involved in the argument, there are still large obstacles that must be overcome.
III. Narrative Analysis
1. What is your current status?
A majority of those surveyed (65%) indicated that they were currently classified as Active Duty. Almost one-in-five (19%) identified themselves as being in the Reserves – 13 percent non-mobilized, 6 percent mobilized. The reaming 16 percent noted their status as Veterans.
2. In which branch of the military do you serve? (Vets: In which branch of the military did you serve?)
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