According to a TNS poll commissioned by Bravo’s www.OutzoneTV.com , the first-ever broadband channel specifically targeted to the gay and lesbian online community, Americans were most surprised when Neil Patrick Harris came out of the closet with 44% of the vote. Former *NSYNC heartthrob Lance Bass, who revealed he was gay this past July, came in second with 19% of the vote. A whopping 75% of those polled said that knowing if an actor/actress is gay made no difference in their inclination to watch or not watch a specific television show or movie. Seventy-four percent think that society has become more accepting of gay and lesbian celebrities in the ten years since Ellen DeGeneres’ appearance on the cover of Time announcing her sexuality. In January 2007, OutZoneTV.com will release the results of their Sexiest Gay 2007 poll, which breaks out who Americans feel are the Sexiest Gay Celebrity, Sexiest Gay-Friendly Celebrity and Sexiest Gay of the Year.
Surprisingly, television outranks religion in terms of how Americans shape their opinions about the gay/lesbian lifestyle. Nearly half of respondents (47%) felt television had a larger influence on their perception of gay and lesbian lifestyles, with religion coming in second with 34%. Thirteen percent of those polled said that personal experience was most important in determining their point of view about gay/lesbian lifestyles and politics played the smallest role with only 7% of votes. In terms of the media and their coverage of gay/lesbian celebrities, most Americans (66%) felt that too much time was spent on the topic.
The full results of the poll are below:
Q: Actors TR Knight (Grey’s Anatomy) and Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) recently revealed to the press that they are gay. When an actor or actress you are familiar with comes out of the closet, would you say you are more inclined to watch their TV shows and movies, less inclined, or does it not make a difference?
75% - It does not make a difference
22% - Less inclined
4% - More inclined
Q: It's been 10 years since Ellen DeGeneres first appeared on the cover of Time magazine announcing that she is gay. Over the past 10 years, would you say that society has become more or less accepting of gay and lesbian celebrities?
74% - Society has become more accepting of gay & lesbian celebrities
21% - No change
5% - Society has become less accepting of gay & lesbian celebrities
Q: Which of the following celebrities were you most surprised about when s/he came out as gay/lesbian? Ellen DeGeneres, Lance Bass, Neil Patrick Harris, Rosie O’Donnell, Melissa Etheridge
44% - Neil Patrick Harris
19% - Lance Bass
16% - Rosie O’Donnell
14% - Melissa Etheridge
7% - Ellen DeGeneres
Q: Do you think there should be… More gay characters on TV, Less gay characters on TV, No opinion?
55% - No opinion
35% - Less gay characters on TV
10% - More gay characters on TV
Q: The Associated Press reported that the daytime soap opera All My Children will be the first television show to introduce a transgender character who will be making the transition from a man to a woman. Would you say American TV viewers are …?
43% - Not ready to see transgender characters on TV and never will be
35% - Ready to see transgender characters on TV
22% - Not ready to see transgender characters on TV, but will be ready in a few years
Q: In your opinion, do you think the media report too much on gay/lesbian celebrities, not enough, or the right amount?
66% - The media report too much on gay/lesbian celebrities
27% - The media report just the right amount on gay/lesbian celebrities
7% - The media don’t report enough on gay/lesbian celebrities
Q: Which of the following do you think has had the largest influence on Americans’ perceptions of the gay/lesbian lifestyle? Television, Religion, Personal experience, Politics
