Homosexuality (Demographic Patterns)

What about sexual relations between two adults of the same sex? Is always wrong, almost always wrong, sometimes wrong, not at all wrong?. Results weighted by WTCOMB (General Social Survey 2008 Cross-Section and Panel Combined)

Homosexuality by Age

	18-29 years old	30-44 years old	45-59 years old	60-74 years old	75 years and old	Missing	TOTAL
Always wrong	41.1% 204	44.2% 280	49.1% 333	58.4% 229	70.6% 132	10	49.4% 1178
Almost always wrong	2.8% 14	3.6% 23	4.0% 27	4.1% 16	3.7% 7	1	3.6% 87
Sometimes wrong	6.5% 32	4.1% 26	8.8% 60	6.9% 27	4.8% 9	0	6.5% 154
Not wrong at all	47.0% 233	41.4% 262	32.9% 223	24.7% 97	11.8% 22	4	35.1% 837
Other	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0	0.0% 0
Don't know	2.2% 11	5.2% 33	4.3% 29	5.4% 21	6.4% 12	1	4.4% 106
No answer	0.4% 2	1.4% 9	0.9% 6	0.5% 2	2.7% 5	0	1.0% 24
Missing	243	324	334	181	64	0	1146
TOTAL	100.0% 496	100.0% 633	100.0% 678	100.0% 392	100.0% 187	16	2386

Homosexuality by Sex

	Male	Female	TOTAL
Always wrong	52.5% 567	47.0% 622	49.5% 1189
Almost always wrong	5.0% 54	2.6% 34	3.7% 88
Sometimes wrong	6.5% 70	6.3% 84	6.4% 154
Not wrong at all	32.2% 348	37.3% 493	35.0% 841
Other	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0
Don't know	3.2% 35	5.4% 72	4.5% 107
No answer	0.6% 6	1.4% 18	1.0% 24
Missing	536	620	1156
TOTAL	100.0% 1080	100.0% 1323	2403

Homosexuality by Region

	Northeast	Midwest	South	West	TOTAL
Always wrong	35.0% 141	45.6% 224	61.9% 543	44.3% 281	49.4% 1189
Almost always wrong	3.2% 13	3.5% 17	4.0% 35	3.8% 24	3.7% 89
Sometimes wrong	6.2% 25	7.3% 36	5.5% 48	7.1% 45	6.4% 154
Not wrong at all	44.9% 181	38.3% 188	24.5% 215	40.7% 258	35.0% 842
Other	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0
Don't know	8.9% 36	4.3% 21	3.2% 28	3.3% 21	4.4% 106
No answer	1.7% 7	1.0% 5	0.9% 8	0.8% 5	1.0% 25
Missing	203	270	431	251	1155
TOTAL	100.0% 403	100.0% 491	100.0% 877	100.0% 634	2405

Homosexuality by Political ideology

	Liberal	Moderate	Conservative	Missing	TOTAL
Always wrong	26.8% 168	49.3% 443	66.5% 521	58	49.0% 1132
Almost always wrong	4.0% 25	3.4% 31	3.8% 30	2	3.7% 86
Sometimes wrong	7.8% 49	5.7% 51	6.1% 48	6	6.4% 148
Not wrong at all	57.6% 361	35.3% 317	18.9% 148	14	35.8% 826
Other	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0	0.0% 0
Don't know	3.2% 20	4.9% 44	4.2% 33	9	4.2% 97
No answer	0.6% 4	1.4% 13	0.5% 4	3	0.9% 21
Missing	303	416	402	0	1121
TOTAL	100.0% 627	100.0% 899	100.0% 784	92	2310

Homosexuality by Religion

	Protestant	Catholic	Jewish	None	Other	Missing	TOTAL
Always wrong	63.4% 759	42.5% 257	20.6% 7	23.5% 92	41.2% 70	4	49.5% 1185
Almost always wrong	3.5% 42	5.3% 32	2.9% 1	3.1% 12	0.6% 1	0	3.7% 88
Sometimes wrong	5.3% 64	7.8% 47	14.7% 5	6.4% 25	7.6% 13	0	6.4% 154
Not wrong at all	23.7% 284	36.9% 223	52.9% 18	61.4% 240	44.1% 75	1	35.1% 840
Other	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0	0.0% 0
Don't know	3.3% 40	6.5% 39	8.8% 3	4.1% 16	5.3% 9	0	4.5% 107
No answer	0.7% 8	1.0% 6	0.0% 0	1.5% 6	1.2% 2	2	0.9% 22
Missing	558	302	30	190	69	0	1149
TOTAL	100.0% 1197	100.0% 604	100.0% 34	100.0% 391	100.0% 170	7	2396

Homosexuality by Race

	White	Black	Other	TOTAL
Always wrong	46.2% 860	73.1% 226	44.8% 103	49.5% 1189
Almost always wrong	3.3% 62	3.2% 10	7.0% 16	3.7% 88
Sometimes wrong	6.9% 128	3.2% 10	7.0% 16	6.4% 154
Not wrong at all	38.2% 711	16.5% 51	33.9% 78	35.0% 840
Other	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0
Don't know	4.3% 80	3.6% 11	6.5% 15	4.4% 106
No answer	1.2% 22	0.3% 1	0.9% 2	1.0% 25
Missing	912	137	107	1156
TOTAL	100.0% 1863	100.0% 309	100.0% 230	2402

Homosexuality by Education

	Left high school	High school	Junior college	Bachelor	Graduate	Missing	TOTAL
Always wrong	65.7% 209	53.5% 664	51.9% 96	37.5% 158	26.5% 62	1	49.6% 1189
Almost always wrong	4.1% 13	3.0% 37	3.8% 7	4.8% 20	4.3% 10	1	3.6% 87
Sometimes wrong	3.8% 12	6.4% 79	3.8% 7	8.1% 34	9.0% 21	0	6.4% 153
Not wrong at all	19.8% 63	32.2% 400	34.1% 63	45.1% 190	53.0% 124	0	35.0% 840
Other	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0	0.0% 0
Don't know	6.0% 19	3.7% 46	5.4% 10	3.6% 15	6.8% 16	0	4.4% 106
No answer	0.6% 2	1.2% 15	1.1% 2	1.0% 4	0.4% 1	0	1.0% 24
Missing	168	543	114	221	111	0	1157
TOTAL	100.0% 318	100.0% 1241	100.0% 185	100.0% 421	100.0% 234	2	2399

Notes

The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) annually since 1972, except for the years 1979, 1981, and 1992 (a supplement was added in 1992), and biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed to be part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. The 2008 GSS featured special modules on attitudes toward science and technology, self-employment, terrorism preparation, global economics, sports and leisure, social inequality, sexual behaviors and religion. Items on religion covered denominational affiliation, church attendance, religious upbringing, personal beliefs, and religious experiences.

The GSS is in transition from a replicating cross-sectional design to a design that uses rotating panels. In 2008 there were two components: a new 2008 cross-section with 2,023 cases and the first re-interviews (panel) with 1,536 respondents from the 2006 GSS. The 2,023 cases in the cross-section have been previously released as a part of the 1972-2008 cumulative data. This new release includes those 1,536 re-interviewed panel cases along with the 2,023 cases. Please note that this is not a cumulative file - those cases and variables not surveyed in 2008 are excluded. Also note that, although those 1,536 cases were from the 2006 sample, this release does not include their responses in 2006. We plan to release a data file with the previous responses in the future. This release introduces new variables that were asked only of the panel cases of the 2008 GSS. The majority of variables introduced are related to the 2007 International Social Survey Program (ISSP) module on leisure time and sports.