POLL: Sexuality Question.

[Gnu Ordure]

I was looking at a new Gallup poll today, and I was wondering why a few people would refuse to answer a question, or maybe even lie about it.  Particularly when the poll is anonymous/confidential.

This was the question:

Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender?

You're offered four options:

1. Yes
2. No.
3. I don't know.
4. I refuse to answer that question.


So I've got three questions about that:

a. Why would any straight people pick 4? (I understand why some LGBT people might).
b. Why would anyone say they don't know? (Some late adolescents, I suppose...)
c. Would some LGBT people lie and pick option 2?

So I thought I'd run the poll here. I imagine most people will pick options 1 or 2, honestly. But hopefully some people will explain why they would choose options 3 or 4; or admit that they would lie about choosing 1 or 2.

But if no-one does, this still might be an interesting snapshot of our little community anyway.

[Graybeard]

I always refuse to answer such questions; likewise ones that ask my racial origins. They are usually asked by organisations that have a statement that says, "We do not discriminate on the grounds of race, religion or sexual orientation."

If that is true, why do they want to know?

[Nam]

I put "No".

I am not gay, not atracted to men. Not a lesbian (wish I were, though ). And am not transgendered. Even though people think my mouth is another asshole.

Sorry about the above comment, wish I could delete it.

INam

[Graybeard]

What comment? GB

[Gnu Ordure]

I always refuse to answer such questions; likewise ones that ask my racial origins. They are usually asked by organisations that have a statement that says, "We do not discriminate on the grounds of race, religion or sexual orientation."

If that is true, why do they want to know?

GB, this a Gallup poll, not a job interview. No need for paranoia. Their polls are anonymous and confidential, and they simply want to know what people think.

This is the poll I'm talking about, by the way; it's very interesting.

[wright]

No.

I wonder if some heteros might choose #4 because they find the question's implications so terrifying; they take refuge in an angry none of your business!!

I have a hetero friend who stopped donating blood partly because he was asked by a staffer if he'd ever had sex with a man, as part of the screening process. It was too scary / insulting for him to simply be asked; he hasn't donated since.

[Nam]

Damn those blood banks. Imagine if they asked him if he had AIDS?!?! Imagine the homosexual implications that would go through his prejudiced mind!

Too much?

-Nam

[Gnu Ordure]

I have a hetero friend who stopped donating blood partly because he was asked by a staffer if he'd ever had sex with a man, as part of the screening process. It was too scary / insulting for him to simply be asked; he hasn't donated since.

Whoah. That's fucked up. And sad, because he's stopped giving blood for an irrelevant emotional reason.

But OK, that's a possible answer to my OP, Wright: some people are so offended at being asked about their sexuality that they refuse to answer any questions about it.

[Nam]

Gnu,

They are called "prudes". Sadly, they represent a good portion of the population.

-Nam

[Onesimus]

I'm amazed that this is still a "thing".  Unless confronted with the issue, I forget about it entirely for weeks at a time.

[Graybeard]

GB, this a Gallup poll, not a job interview. No need for paranoia. Their polls are anonymous and confidential, and they simply want to know what people think.

Really? Gallup are not employed by anyone to collect any information? They just randomly select a few interesting questions for their own purposes and publish them? I think not.

This is the poll I'm talking about http://www.gallup.com/poll/158066/special-report-adults-identify-lgbt.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=syndication , by the way; it's very interesting.

As long as it was answered correctly.

[Garja]

opps. I must be getting tired (actually very). I misread the question.  I thought it was asking if I WOULD answer that question.  Yes I would answer, but no I'm not.  So yeah, mentally remove 1 from yes and move it to no.

[kindred]

I do not understand the problem with that question. Irrational discrimination is bad, I get it. Racism, sexism, homophobia etc. is irrational discrimination so therefore it is bad BUT a business would NOT irrationally discriminate against sexuality. The only thing businesses care about is money. So if a business does anything, it does it because it will increase their profits not to irrationally discriminate.

A business will not shun homosexuals because the managers find homosexuals to be morally repugnant, a business will shun homosexuals because they are hard to market. There are no established homosexual men or women for a business to model their employees or human products(popstars etc.). Unless you are a niche market built specifically to market to homosexual males/females or transgenders, why would you hire a one in a position where they can make people uncomfortable and hurt profits?

[Gnu Ordure]

Well, this is no good - 19 votes and nobody has picked options 3 or 4. 

GB, this a Gallup poll, not a job interview. No need for paranoia. Their polls are anonymous and confidential, and they simply want to know what people think.

Really? Gallup are not employed by anyone to collect any information? They just randomly select a few interesting questions for their own purposes and publish them? I think not.

Nice straw man. What's important in a poll is how it's conducted, the sample selection, the phrasing of the questions, the confidentiality, and so on. Who is paying for it is largely irrelevant.

I do not understand the problem with that question. Irrational discrimination is bad, I get it. Racism, sexism, homophobia etc. is irrational discrimination so therefore it is bad

No. Discrimination is bad. It doesn't matter if it's rational or irrational.

A business will not shun homosexuals because the managers find homosexuals to be morally repugnant, a business will shun homosexuals because they are hard to market.

And that would be illegal.

[Mr. Blackwell]

Damn those blood banks. Imagine if they asked him if he had AIDS?!?! Imagine the homosexual implications that would go through his prejudiced mind!

Too much?

-Nam

My favorite question at blood banks is "Have you ever had sex with anyone who has ever had sex with someone for money or has ever shared a needle"

I'm all like... o_0

[madeline]

Its been a while since I gave blood but I don't ever recall being asked that question..

Is there a 5..all of the above? Wouldn't that be interesting?

[Nam]

When I was a pre-teen, or just turned 13 (I don't remember) I had to go to this clinic in south Florida where they stuck me with a needle countless times in both my arms (the inside of the arms down where the elbow is) removing a shitload of blood from my body (apparently I had too much blood in my body) and I am never doing anything like that or similar again.

-Nam

[Graybeard]

Nice straw man.

No.

What's important in a poll is how it's conducted, the sample selection, the phrasing of the questions, the confidentiality, and so on. Who is paying for it is largely irrelevant.

And you live in a sunny world of fluffy bunnies and little kittens?

Whoever pays, get the results. Once they have the results they can do what they want with them.

A couple of days back I had a visit from a guy representing Mori Polls[1] - supposedly respectable. I said that I was willing to help by completing a record of my radio listening habits.

Now why would he want my name? Regardless of what I said about my listening habits, how would it help anyone to know my name? Do I really need more junk mail?

1.	http://www.ipsos-mori.com/

[Nam]

Should've said you're name was Graybeard.



-Nam

[Gnu Ordure]

What's important in a poll is how it's conducted, the sample selection, the phrasing of the questions, the confidentiality, and so on. Who is paying for it is largely irrelevant.

And you live in a sunny world of fluffy bunnies and little kittens?

And you live in a paranoid world of patronising pricks?

Your turn.

Whoever pays, get the results. Once they have the results they can do what they want with them.

Such as publish them. So then everyone has the results, and can do what they want with them. At that point, it doesn't much matter who paid for the survey.

[on:bread:alone]

eventually this question will be an obsolete device. there won't be any lines between gay or straight. once skynet takes over, sexual stimulation will be done electronically, not physically, like the poor little lab-rats that starve themselves in leiu of orgasms. reproduction will be done in sterile environments, children will be raised by machines... we'll all be hooked on soma. it will be beautiful.

[Mr. Blackwell]

Such as publish them. So then everyone has the results, and can do what they want with them. At that point, it doesn't much matter who paid for the survey.

But what use would they have for his name? If the people asking the questions for the poll you have linked asked the people their names...that might be enough to skew the results.

Think about it, some random person walks up to you or calls you on the phone telling you that they are with "so and so polling" and would you mind answering a few questions about your sexuality and the first thing they ask you is to state your name...That's enough to trigger suspicion of the polls anonymity in my mind.

I'd be very likely to either hang up or walk away. Depending on what mood I'm in I might give a false name[1] and give the most bizarre answers available. 

1.	Unless they called me, then they probably already have my name at which point I would likely get very aggressive and ask them how the fuck they got my number

[Nam]

Interviewer: Hello, sir. I am holding an anonymous poll about one's sexuality. Would you like to participate?

Mr. Blackwell: Sure.

Interviewer: first, can we have your first and last name....

Mr. Blackwell: I THOUGHT THIS WAS A GODDAMN ANONYMOUS POLL YOU MOTHERFUCKING ASSHOLE--WAIT, HOW DID YOU GET MY FUCKING NUMBER, AND IF YOU HAVE MY NUMBER HOW COME NOT MY NAME, TOO!!!

Interviewer: Um....

[Line dies...]



-Nam

[kindred]

@gnu

Why would discrimination be bad? Without discriminating on people, you'd just be randomly selecting them. You discriminate based on job aptitude, image, marketability etc. If you didn't then you'd essentially be just choosing at random.

Moreover, there is no logical reason why you can't discriminate race, nationality, gender etc. because of marketability. If you want a store that will have the cultural and aesthetic appeal of a certain demographic then you employ people of that demographic to foster an atmosphere that will be most profitable.

If you were trying to market a gym as an all women place where women can let go and not need to fuss over their image, would you employ staff that could potentially undermine that atmosphere? Would you employ ripped and well toned men that'll conflict the vibe you are trying to sell?

[Nam]

^I would. But that's cause it'd be funny.

-Nam

[Mr. Blackwell]

I think it would be even funnier to have a bunch of fat sweaty middle aged guys with hairy backs as the personal trainers of an advertised "female only" gym.

[Nam]

^agreed.

-Nam

[Timtheskeptic]

So I've got three questions about that:

a. Why would any straight people pick 4? (I understand why some LGBT people might).

Because some folks considers it as a personal question and isn't anyone's business, other folks may consider not labeling themselves. We're all basically human, our sexuality does not define who we are.

b. Why would anyone say they don't know? (Some late adolescents, I suppose...)

Because people don't focus on their own sexuality. I didn't know what my sexuality is until in my late teens or early twenties, mostly because i don't think about it. Some are even afraid of being gay, bi, transgender considering their religious belief and what lies they heard about LGBT folks.

c. Would some LGBT people lie and pick option 2?

Denial. Many LGBT people want to deny their sexuality based on their belief that homosexuality, bisexuality, or being transgender is wrong or that you'll burn in hell or you'll lead a tragic life.

[Graybeard]

Such as publish them. So then everyone has the results, and can do what they want with them. At that point, it doesn't much matter who paid for the survey.

I think that was my point. You may be happy to give your personal details to someone who will pass them on or sell them together with an assessment of your opinions and thus your preferences and social type, but I am not.

If you are from the UK, you will know that there is the Data Protection Act - a useless piece of legislation but it does define "Personal Data" and "Sensitive Data"  and addresses it in (IIRC) section 29 and 31. Apparently, the government and the EU are concerned when such things are used. However, if you volunteer them, then you are outside the protection of the Act.

There are some details that should not concern other people. Government and marketing departments should operate fairly and address all races, religions, sexual orientations, disabilities, etc. They should not make assumptions nor should they target.

That irresponsible firms do collect this data for less than beneficial purposes; they do collect sensitive data and they do use it.