Supporters of Rick Santorum and Newt
Gingrich are the most anti-gay, a new poll by Bill Maher has found.
The
poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling and commissioned by
HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, found that Republican voters
are significantly more uncomfortable with an openly atheist
candidate, than an openly gay one (69 percent of Republicans said
they were less likely to vote for an atheist candidate, while 53
percent said they were less likely to vote for a gay candidate.)
Among voters supporting a Republican
candidate, Santorum (64%) and Gingrich (50%) supporters were the
least likely to vote for a gay candidate. Ron Paul supporters were
45 percent less likely, while 42 percent of Mitt Romney supporters
said they were less likely to vote for a gay candidate.
Santorum's first place finish is not
much of a surprise given his long history of anti-gay rhetoric. The
former Pennsylvania senator in 2003 compared gay sex to “man on
dog.” More recently, he said he objects
to gay marriage because it would “destabilize the family.”
And he
has blamed the wrecked economy on marriage equality.