67 Percent Of Americans Would Vote For A Gay Prez, Yet Ours Is "Still Evolving"

A Gallup poll judging American perceptions of candidates and the different identities future presidential wannabes could include produced some startling results for queers: 67% of Americans would vote for a gay or lesbian candidate if they were qualified for the job.

That is a sharp departure from previous polls. In 1978, for instance, only 26% of Americans would have voted for a gay candidate. This brings up a good question, addressed rather succinctly by Feministing: why is it so hard to pass pro-gay legislation?

To my mind, it brings to mind a much more specific focus: why, if we are ok with having a gay Commander-in-Chief, is it so hard for us to get ours on board for marriage equality? There is an intense battle to win same-sex marriage in the state of New York, and the White House has essentially refused to align itself with pro-equality politicians.

John Aravosis of AMERICAblog points out, and correctly so, that Obama isn't truly evolving on the issue of gay marriage thus far: he's devolving. At least, in light of his 1996 candidate survey in favor of marriage, he has backtracked on this issue.

America is ready for a gay president. Is our president ready to come to bat for gay Americans?