Celebrate spring by volunteering tvith your local LGBT organization
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CAROLIN
Star Trek’s “Sulu” becomes
spokesperson for HRC 20
‘ Kate Clinton performs
at SWOOP benefit 26
Rowan County tries to
squash Gay Straight
Student Alliance 03
New queer cinema:
Adam and Steve’ 17
Q-Style: building your
business wardrobe 19
North and South
Carolina
North Carolina:
HRC leaking for
volunteers (X
South Carolina:
Outsmart to host Youth
Prom during Pride Ot
Growing acceptance of gay marriage, adoption
and military service
According to a report from the Pew
Research Center for the People and the Press,
public acceptance of gay and lesbian sexuali
ty has increased in a number of ways in recent
years, though it remains a deeply divisive
issue. Half of Americans (51 percent) continue
to oppose legalizing gay marriage, but this
number has declined significantly from 63
percent in February 2004, when opposition
spiked following the Massachusetts Supreme
Court decision and remained high throughout
the 2004 election season. Opposition to gay
marriage has fallen across the board, with
substantial declines even among Republicans.
Conducted among 1,405 adults from
March 8-12, the poll also finds less opposi
tion to gays serving openly in the military
and a greater public willingness to allow gays
to adopt children. A 60 percent majority now
favors allowing gays and lesbians to serve
openly in the military, up from 52 percent in
1994, and 46 percent support gay adoption,
up from 38 percent in 1999.
Despite the fact that gay marriage initia
tives are on the ballot in seven states this
year, the atmosphere surrounding the issue
of gay marriage has cooled off, and public
intensity has dissipated compared with two
years ago. “Strong” opposition to gay
marriage, which surged in 2004, has
ebbed to a new low. This is particularly the
case among seniors. Catholics and non
evangelical Protestants. Among people
age 65 and over, for example, strong
opposition to gay marriage jumped from
36 percent in 2003 to 58 percent in 2004,
but has fallen to 33 percent today. White
evangelical Protestants are the only major
group in which a majority still strongly
opposes gay marriage, but even here the
intensity of feeling has receded somewhat.
Opposirion to gay marriage declines
After peaking during the 2004 election
opposition to allowing gays and lesbians to
marry has faded in recent years. The percent
of those who favor allowing gay marriage has
increased from a low of 29 percent in August
of that year to 39 percent today.
These figures are in keeping with the long
term trend toward acceptance of gay marriage
seen in surveys leading up to the 2004 race, in
June of 1996 just 27 percent favored legalizing
gay marriage, a figure that rose to 35 percent
in March of 2001 and 38 percent in the sum
mer of 2003. This growing support fell away
Hie public is divided about evenly: — 46 percent
favor gay adoption vsrhile 48 percent are opposed.
during the debates surrounding gay marriage
that were sparked largely by the
Massachusetts Supreme Court decision in
February 2004, a resurgence in opposition that
lasted throughout the rest of the election year.
The turnaround over the past two years is
particulariy distinct in the cltc.cgc among these
who say they “strongly oppose” legalizing gay
marriage. Just 28 percent take this position
today, down from 42 percent in February of
2004, and the decline has been sharpest among
see SURVEY on IS
Next issue:
S.C Gay Pride
Mother's Day
Half million raised at
GGF gala
by Cecelia Thompson
GREENSBORO — The Guilford Green Foundation (GGF), in
collaboration with the National
Community Funding Partnership
for Lesbian and Gay Issues and
the Community Foundation of
Greater Greensboro, announced
April 4 at its annual Black Tie
Gala that nearly $500,000 was
raised during its most successful
fundraising campaign ever.
Marking the first time the
three nonprofits have collaborat
ed on this scale, this initiative
netted more than $182,000 in
2004 and more than $ 173,000 in
2005 from area businesses, foun
dations and philanthropists.
Greensboro is one of only 40
cities nationwide to receive the
matching grant from the National
Community Funding Partnership
for Lesbian and Gay Issues and
has raised funds faster than any other location.
In addition to the Piedmont Unity Project, GGF’s annual
Friendship Drive raised more than
$70,000 surpassing last year’s total by see GGFon 13
'...Our community is one
where diversity is valued.'
— Greensboro May of
Keith Holliday
A soldier's story
Explosive possibilities
Editor's Note: These are the thoughts of a gay soldier — a North
Carolina native — who has been deployed to Iraq. Because of the
military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, he must remain anonymous.
I had a near encounter this past week of the wrong kind. For a brief
moment, I saw my life flash before me.
it started like this. I was on the charter bus going to the dining facility.
We saw a truck that looked like one of ours in an accident so 1 asked to
get off the bus to investigate — I told them I would eat'later. So they
dropped me off with my gear. I suited up and went to see what had hap
pened. This was not an acci
dent at all. An Iraqi Army sol
dier had pulled off to the side
of the road and discovered a
land mine.
About three minutes back
up the road, I had seen the
Engineer Unit doing a training'
exercise, so in the back of my
mind I thought it was possible
that this, too, was another
training exercise. When I get to the scene I see that there are no other
Coalition members there and only one Iraqi who could speak good
enough English to explain the situation.
There it was, an anti-personnel/tank mine, cleverly placed and con
cealed. When I saw it. I nearly had a heart attack. The blast zone on a
mine like this is around 250 meters (about
275 yards) and with the ingenuity of the lEDs see SOLDIER'Son 14