bipartisan support boosts gay rights legislation

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GAY_RIGHTS_SENATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-11-02-03-26-08

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Gay rights advocates - Republicans and Democrats - are newly upbeat about the prospects for Senate passage of a bill that would prohibit employers from discriminating against workers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The outlook for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act - the first test vote is Monday - reflects the nation's growing tolerance of homosexuality and the GOP's political calculation as it looks for supporters beyond its core base of older voters.

"I think society continues to evolve on the issue of gay rights," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a co-sponsor of the measure. "As more and more gay individuals are open about their sexual orientation, people come to realize that they are their neighbors, their family members, their friends, their co-workers. That's made a big difference."

Opinion polls underscore Collins' assessment. A Pew Research survey in June found that more Americans said homosexuality should be accepted rather than discouraged by society by a margin of 60 to 31 percent, or nearly 2-to-1. Opinions were more evenly divided 10 years ago.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. The phrase 'tolerance of homosexuality' is really off-putting.

[xchrom]

2. yes. i have come to hate 'tolerance'.

now there's a little irony.