NEW YORK More than half of Americans when surveyed said gay partners should receive benefits such as health insurance, Social Security and inheritance rights. But when poll questions refer specifically to marriage between gay partners, the results take a different tone: a majority of Americans say they oppose gay marriage and 53 percent feel gay and lesbian partners should not be entitled to the same benefits as married heterosexual couples.

These are among the findings from recent opinion polls included in a comprehensive, nonpartisan online guide developed by Public Agenda, a nonprofit research organization. Scheduled for launch tomorrow, the on-line guide will provide a running analysis of public attitudes as captured in periodic surveys conducted by respected polling organizations, informational background, and more on gay rights issues. Support for the creation of the new guide at www.publicagenda.org was provided by the Colorado-based Gill Foundation, an organization that seeks to secure equal opportunity for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Reliable Research on Controversial Issues

Public opinion on gay rights, like public opinion on many other controversial issues, can be easily misinterpreted and misreported, said Jean Johnson, director of programs, Public Agenda. Public Agenda Online will gather the most reliable research, place it in context and make it readily available to all of those with an interest in this topic.

The new guide provides current, balanced data, survey results, extensive resource lists, and news on issues such as sodomy law repeal efforts, gay health matters and related concerns.

Public Agenda's track record for gathering and presenting both facts and opinions of national interest immediately make this new guide an important resource for audiences interested in gay issues, said Claudia French, executive director of the Gill Foundation. The Gill Foundation anticipates the site will create a more informed and honest debate around the issues gay and lesbian individuals face in our society today.

Balanced, Up-to-Date Information

Data is presented in these useful categories:

• Fact File. A backgrounder, including: a map of states that allow gays and lesbians to become adoptive parents; a timeline of key moments in gay rights history over the last four centuries; and a U.S. Census Bureau chart that tracks the number of same-sex households.
• Public Opinion. A synthesis of survey data from leading organizations such as Princeton Survey Research and the Gallup Organization. The guide includes findings that demonstrate how responses to questions about gay rights vary with question wording. Red Flags alert policymakers to issues that have not been thought through and require interpretation.

For example, 34 percent of respondents in one poll said homosexual relations between consenting adults should be illegal. But more than half that group--56 percent--changed their minds when told this could mean that consenting adults could be criminally prosecuted for engaging in these activities in their own homes.

• Notable and Newsworthy. A summary of the latest news stories from the Associated Press, Time, The New York Times and other media. Areas covered range from domestic partner benefits to same-sex civil unions to international developments in gay rights.
• Sources and Resources. An extensive catalog of organizations to link to directly for further information, including: the Alliance for Marriage, American Civil Liberties Union Lesbian and Gay Rights Project, Family Research Council, Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation (GLAAD), the Gill Foundation, the Heritage Foundation and Scouting for All. This section also provides select links to studies such as Social Discrimination and Health: The Case of Latino Gay Men and HIV Risk and briefly describes legislation such as the Hate Crimes Statistics Act of 1990.
• Framing the Debate. A set of discussion frameworks that help people think through the pros and cons of three key questions: should we protect and extend equal rights to all citizens; let communities decide gay rights issues locally for themselves; or tolerate private behavior, but protect traditional definitions of institutions such as marriage and family?

Praised as fabulously thorough by Forbes.com, and respected for presenting issues fairly and with clarity, Public Agenda Online (www.publicagenda.org) also features a special guide on terrorism and public opinion, and 20 other regularly updated, in-depth issue guides on topics from medical research to education, campaign finance reform, child care, Social Security, health care and abortion. In addition, the site provides information on Public Agenda surveys and other research publications.

Visitors can sign up to receive a weekly e-mail alert of relevant policy news and new publication announcements from Public Agenda, as well as The Public Agenda newsletter, the inside source for public opinion and policy analysis, produced three times a year.

Public Agenda, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization, located in New York City, is well respected for its trustworthy public opinion polls and its balanced citizen education materials. Founded in 1975 by Cyrus R. Vance, the former U.S. secretary of state, and Daniel Yankelovich, the social scientist and author, its mission is to inform leaders about the public's views and to inform citizens about government policy.

Established in 1994 by software entrepreneur Tim Gill, the Gill Foundation is a Colorado-based nonprofit philanthropic organization. The mission of the Gill Foundation is to secure equal opportunity for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, by providing grants to nonprofit organizations, strengthening the leadership and managerial skills of nonprofit leaders, increasing financial resources to nonprofit organizations, strengthening democratic institutions and building awareness of the contributions people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities make to American society. Since 1994, the Gill Foundation has awarded more than $21 million to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and HIV/ AIDS communities with a focus on national organizations, the nonurban United States and Colorado. With an endowment of approximately $260 million, the Gill Foundation is the country's largest funder of LGBT organizations.

For more information about Public Agenda Online, please call Public Agenda at 212-686-6610, fax 212-889-3461, or e-mail info@publicagenda.org. Media only please contact Rick Remington/Michael Darden at 212-686-6610, ext. 13, or e-mail rremington OR mdarden@publicagenda.org. For more information on the Gill Foundation and its programs, call (303) 292-4455 or visit www.gillfoundation.org.