Harris Interactive | News Room - Seven In Ten Adult Americans Support U.S. Supreme Court Overturning Same-Sex Sodomy Laws

Rochester, NY – May 6, 2003 – Seventy-four percent of American adults surveyed last month favor the U.S. Supreme Court overturning state laws that criminalize private, consenting sexual relations between same-sex couples, yet allows that same private conduct to occur between opposite-sex couples. This was the latest finding of a national online poll released today by Witeck-Combs Communications and Harris Interactive^®.

The new survey also reveals that Americans almost equally oppose laws regulating consenting sexual relations that occur in the private homes of opposite-sex and same-sex couples. Nearly nine out of 10 Americans (87%) oppose state laws regulating private, sexual relations that are applied to opposite-sex married adult couples and almost as many (82%) oppose such laws that are applied to same-sex adult couples in a domestic partnership.

"Even when we exclude respondents who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, support for overturning state sodomy laws does not change significantly," said Darin Johnson, vice president at Witeck-Combs Communications. "It is clear that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe the Supreme Court should overturn all state laws that interfere with private sexual relations between consenting adults, whether same-sex or opposite-sex couples."

These are highlights of a nationwide surveymore than 2,000 adults, of whom approximately seven percent self-identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT). The survey was conducted online between April 17 and 23, 2003 by Harris Interactive, with analysis of GLBT data provided by Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., a strategic public relations and marketing communications firm with special expertise in GLBT issues.

"These numbers tell the same story we've been telling courts in this country for years: the vast majority of Americans support the right to privacy of all people, including gays and lesbians, and oppose anti-gay discrimination," said Kevin Cathcart, executive director of Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the national gay rights organization bringing the Supreme Court challenge to consensual sex laws.

Across the board, regardless of income, gender, age, region of the country, or political philosophy, Americans overwhelmingly oppose state laws that regulate sexual relations that occur in the private home of an adult same-sex couple.

"These results are not surprising," commented David Krane, senior vice president at Harris Interactive. "They closely align with findings from previous studies we have conducted with Americans on privacy. The public feels very strongly that the government should not interfere with matters related to their personal privacy – and particularly, as this study shows, with their choices related to sexual practices."

On March 26, 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments testing Texas same-sex sodomy statute. This case, Lawrence v. Texas, will examine the constitutionality of Texas law (and other similar state laws) that imposes criminal charges on same-sex couples who have consenting sexual relations in the privacy of their home.

Editorial Note: The national online survey was conducted between April 17 and 23, 2003 – and therefore, most of the data was collected prior to the prominent media attention given to Senator Rick Santorum’s (R-PA) interview last month with the Associated Press on sodomy laws and sexual privacy.

GLBT refers to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender respondents. The percentage of respondents has been included for each item. An asterisk (*) signifies a value of less than one-half percent. A dash represents a value of zero. Percentages may not always add up to 100% because of computer rounding or the acceptance of multiple answers from respondents answering that question.

"Do you think that the U.S. Supreme Court should overturn or uphold state laws that criminalize private, consenting sex between same-sex couples, but allow that same conduct between opposite-sex couples?"

"Do you favor or oppose state laws that regulate consenting sexual relations that occur in the private home of an…?"

	Favor %	Oppose %
Adult married opposite-sex couple
Total	13	87
Heterosexual	13	87
LGBT	8	92
Adult unmarried opposite-sex couple
Total	14	86
Heterosexual	14	86
LGBT	9	91
Adult same-sex couple in a domestic partnership
Total	18	82
Heterosexual	18	82
LGBT	9	91
Adult same-sex couple not in a domestic partnership
Total	18	82
Heterosexual	18	82
LGBT	9	91

"Do you favor or oppose state laws that regulate consenting sexual relations that occur in the private home of an…?"

	Region %				Age %					Gender %
	East	Mid-west	South	West	12-24	25-29	30-39	40-49	50+	Male	Female
Adult married opposite-sex couple	90	87	83	91	88	89	86	88	86	87	87
Adult unmarried opposite-sex couple	90	84	81	91	86	86	86	87	85	86	86
Adult same-sex couple in a domestic partnership	89	80	76	88	86	87	84	81	80	81	84
Adult same-sex couple not in a domestic partnership	88	80	76	88	88	88	84	80	79	81	84

"Do you favor or oppose state laws that regulate consenting sexual relations that occur in the private home of an…?"

	Race %			Party ID %		Political Philosophy %
	White	Black	Hispanic	Repub lican	Demo crat	Inde pendent	Conserva tive		Moder ate	Liberal
Adult married opposite-sex couple	87	84	91	85	88	89	87		88	90
Adult unmarried opposite-sex couple	86	85	90	80	90	89	80		90	90
Adult same-sex couple in a domestic partnership	82	80	86	75	88	86	70		86	92
Adult same-sex couple not in a domestic partnership	82	80	89	74	88	86		70	86		92

"Do you favor or oppose state laws that regulate consenting sexual relations that occur in the private home of an…?"

	Education %				Income %
	H.S. or Less	Some Col.	Col. Grad	Post Grad	Less Than $15k	$15k- $24.9k	$25k- $34.9k	$35k- 49.9k	$50k- $74.9k	$75k+
Adult married opposite-sex couple	82	88	92	95	87	81	82	84	88	91
Adult unmarried opposite-sex couple	80	88	90	91	84	80	84	83	86	91
Adult same-sex couple in a domestic partnership	78	81	89	90	81	77	81	82	83	86
Adult same-sex couple not in a domestic partnership	78	82	87	91	81	79	81	82	83	85

	Age 18-24 %	Age 25-29 %	Age 30-39 %	Age 40-49 %	Age 50+ %
Overturn	76	90	79	73	66
Uphold	24	10	21	27	34

"Do you favor or oppose denying adult same-sex couples any of the following because they have engaged in private, consenting sexual relations…?"

	Favor %	Oppose %
Denying certain jobs, such as teaching
Total	24	76
Heterosexual	26	74
LGBT	2	98
Denying the right to adopt children
Total	39	61
Heterosexual	41	59
LGBT	6	94
Denying rental housing
Total	12	88
Heterosexual	13	87
LGBT	1	99
Denying health insurance coverage
Total	17	83
Heterosexual	18	82
LGBT	1	99

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive between April 17 and April 23, 2003, among a nationwide cross section of 2,046 adults. Of those adults surveyed, 140, or approximately seven percent, self-identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT). Figures for age, sex, race, education and number of adults in the household were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. "Propensity score" weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus two percentage points (for the overall sample) and plus or minus eight percentage points (for the GLBT sample) of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (non-response), question wording and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. This online survey is not a probability sample.

Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. (www.witeckcombs.com) is the nation’s premier strategic marketing communications firm, specializing in reaching the gay and lesbian consumer market. With over nine years experience in this unique market, Witeck-Combs Communications has developed respected relationships throughout the community and serves as a bridge between corporate America and gay and lesbian consumers. In April 2003, American Demographics named Bob Witeck and Wes Combs as two of the nation’s top 25 most notable leaders in demographic, market research and niche trends of the past 25 years.

Harris Interactive (www.harrisinteractive.com) is a worldwide market research and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll^®,and for pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market research. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, U.S.A., Harris Interactive combines proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in predictive, custom and strategic research. The Company conducts international research through wholly owned subsidiaries—London-based HI Europe (www.hieurope.com) and Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan—as well as through the Harris Interactive Global Network of local market-and opinion-research firms, and various U.S. offices. EOE M/F/D/V

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online^SM and be invited to participate in future online surveys, visit www.harrispollonline.com.


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