Americans favor allowing homosexuals to serve in the armed forces by a 60 percent-to-30 percent margin, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press that was released Oct. 6. Opinions were divided among demographic groups by religion and political affiliation. For example, 47 percent of all white evangelical Protestants who responded opposed lifting the gay ban, while 43 percent favored the move. And while 67 percent of respondents who consider themselves Democrats and 63 percent of independents favor allowing gays to serve, only 47 percent of all Republicans shared that view.
