Editing Don't ask, don't tell (section)

===Public opinion===
[[File:Everyone Joins the Soulforce Sit-In.jpeg|thumb|Protest in New York by [[Soulforce (organization)|Soulforce]], a civil rights group.]]

In 1993, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' reported that 44% of those polled supported openly gay service members,<ref>Mark Thompson (July 12, 2010). [https://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2003075,00.html "Why Is the Military Polling the Troops About Gays?"]. ''Time''.</ref> and in 1994, a CNN poll indicated 53% of Americans believed gays and lesbians should be permitted to serve openly.<ref>Paul Steinhauser, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100225214400/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/22/cnn-poll-69-ok-with-gays-in-the-military/ CNN Poll: 69% OK with gays in the military]. [[CNN]]. February 22, 2010.</ref>

According to a December 2010 ''[[Washington Post]]''–[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] poll, 77% of Americans said gays and lesbians who publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be able to serve in the military. That number showed little change from polls over the previous two years, but represented the highest level of support in a Post-ABC poll. The support also cut across partisan and ideological lines, with majorities of Democrats (86%), Republicans (74%), independents (74%), liberals (92%), conservatives (67%), white evangelical Protestants (70%) and non-religious (84%) in favor of homosexuals serving openly.<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Keefe |first=Ed |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/12/most_back_repealing_dont_ask_d.html |title=Most back repealing 'don't ask, don't tell,' poll says |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 15, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116023139/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/12/most_back_repealing_dont_ask_d.html |archive-date=November 16, 2021 |access-date=December 19, 2010}}</ref>

A November 2010 survey by the [[Pew Research Center]] found that 58% of the U.S. public favored allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, while less than half as many (27%) were opposed.<ref>Pew Research Center: [http://people-press.org/report/679/ "Most Continue to Favor Gays Serving Openly in Military", Nov 29, 2010]. Retrieved February 14, 2012.</ref> According to a November 2010 [[CNN]]/[[Opinion Research Corporation]] poll, 72% of adult Americans favored permitting people who are openly gay or lesbian to serve in the military, while 23% opposed it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/11/17/rel16e.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121160201/http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/11/17/rel16e.pdf |archive-date=2010-11-21 |url-status=live |title=CNN Opinion Research November 11–14, 2010 |access-date=December 19, 2010}}</ref> "The main difference between the CNN poll and the Pew poll is in the number of respondents who told pollsters that they didn't have an opinion on this topic – 16 percent in the Pew poll compared to only five percent in the CNN survey", said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "The two polls report virtually the same number who say they oppose gays serving openly in the military, which suggests that there are some people who favor that change in policy but for some reason were reluctant to admit that to the Pew interviewers. That happens occasionally on topics where moral issues and equal-treatment issues intersect."<ref>Steinhauser, Paul (November 29, 2010). [https://archive.today/20120721043037/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/29/poll-majority-support-gays-serving-openly-in-military/ "Poll: Majority support gays serving openly in military"], CNN Political Ticker: Retrieved February 14, 2012</ref>

A February 2010 [[Quinnipiac University Polling Institute]] national poll showed 57% of American voters favored gays serving openly, compared to 36% opposed, while 66% said not allowing openly gay personnel to serve is discrimination, compared to 31% who did not see it as discrimination.<ref>Quinnipiac University: [https://archive.today/20120805133053/http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1284.xml?ReleaseID=1422& "U.S. Voters Say Gays In Military Should Come Out, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds"], February 10, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2012.</ref> A [[CBS News]]/''[[New York Times]]'' national poll done at the same time showed 58% of Americans favored gays serving openly, compared to 28% opposed.<ref>CBS News: [https://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/poll_021110_2pm.pdf "Gays in the military"], February 11, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2012.</ref>