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WASHINGTON – More than half of Americans back equal treatment for gays, according to a recent poll.
In a Harris Interactive study of straight Americans, 56 percent said people should be more supportive of gay equality. Young Americans, ages 18 to 44, expressed more support with 60 percent backing equal treatment for the homosexual community.
"People's attitudes are changing, particularly the younger generation, and people who don't have a direct connection to a gay person are speaking up and they think it's right to speak up," said Jean-Marie Navetta, spokeswoman for Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National, which commission the poll.
According to the poll’s findings, a majority of Americans (71 percent) said they have spoken out against anti-gay comments, saying they felt it was "the right thing to do." And about 18 percent cited religious or moral grounds for doing so. At the same time, about 20 percent also cited the same reasons for not speaking out in defense of gays.
The poll was released Thursday in conjunction with the launch of PFLAG's Straight for Equality campaign in Washington. The campaign aims to teach Americans to speak up against verbal attacks on gays and lesbians and to "curb homophobia in their daily lives."
And kicking off the PFLAG National Convention is "Dear Abby" columnist Jeanne Phillips, who will be recognized with the first-ever Straight for Equality award for her longtime support of PFLAG and her sending a message of inclusion to her readers.
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"In my column and in my daily life, I have always promoted fairness for all people, and I admire the work that PFLAG does for the friends and families of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals," said Phillips in a statement.
Christians also express support for treating homosexuals with love, responded one conservative ex-gay. But Phillips, he said, goes too far.
"Homosexual family members need to be loved and be treated with respect, yet going as far out on a limb as Phillips did, is showing false love and is actually harmful," said Stephen Bennett, founder of www.TheParentsGroup.com, a worldwide support group for parents, family members and friends who have loved ones who are homosexual.
"We encourage families to love their 'gay' identified loved ones unconditionally, yet without ever condoning or accepting the behavior," he added.
Most Christians say homosexuality is a sin based on Scripture.
According to the Harris poll, almost 70 percent of Americans believe others don't speak up on behalf of gays and lesbians based on their religious and moral grounds. Another recent poll, released by the Barna Group, also found many young Christians to be critical of churches for showing excessive contempt toward the gay and lesbian community and making homosexuality a "bigger sin" than anything else. They also say the church has not helped them apply the biblical teaching on homosexuality to their friendships with gays and lesbians.
More churches now, however, have invited speakers such as Bennett, along with other ex-gays and Christian groups, to teach the congregation about how to deal with loved ones who are homosexual. Bennett speaks around the country preaching a message of love and compassion when reaching out to homosexual individuals while affirming the biblical stand against the promotion and acceptance of homosexuality.
TheParentsGroup.com provides a confidential, Christian, online support community for those who have friends or family members who are homosexual.
