A poll released Wednesday shows that for the first time a majority of Americans believe that gays and lesbians could not not change their sexuality even if they wanted to.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll found that 56 percent of respondents do not believe sexual orientation can be changed.

That is a marked change in the past six years.

A 2001 CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found only 45 percent of respondents believed sexuality was unchangeable and in 1998 a CNN/Time poll the number was 36 percent.

When asked whether homosexuality is nature or nurture the 515 people surveyed in the new poll respondents were more closely divided.

Forty-two percent of respondents to the current poll said they believe homosexuality is the result of upbringing or environment, while 39 percent said they believe it is genetic.

Similar polls in the 1970s and 1980 found fewer than 20 percent of Americans believed said a person is born homosexual.

The survey is the latest in a series of recent polls showing public support growing for gays and lesbians.

A poll conducted last month found that 79 percent support gays serving openly in the military. A second poll conducted in May found that a majority believed same-sex couples should be recognized but were almost equally divided on whether that should be marriage or civil unions. Forty-three percent opposed both.

On the topic of adoption, however, 57 percent said same-sex couples should be allowed to adopt children.

Labels: adoption, poll

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