The Advocate poll.

In the October 25 issue, we asked:

Will lessons learned from electoral defeats in 2004 lead to R gay rights victories at the ballot box in '05 and '06?

Reader comments from www.advocate.com

* "What lessons did we learn? We are still a poorly organized, segmented group with no clear direction or focus. We need to learn to stop asking for more than what the majority is willing to give at this point. Accept civil unions for now; it is more than you had yesterday."

* "Despite all our grousing and moaning, we are still too apathetic and willing to let someone else fight the battle."

* "HRC and the rest are still blindly lining up behind the Democrats. Our 'leaders' are like a pack of dogs, loving the master that beats them because that's the only master they know. Surely it's time for us to break off the leash and go elsewhere. Green, anyone? Libertarian?"

* "If not in this election cycle, maybe in the next or the next after that. As more young people get the opportunity to vote and the old homophobic generation dies, we will succeed."

* "The ballot box is not where we will win our rights. The courts will be the place to go."

no       47%
yes      35%
unsure   18%

Note: Table made from pie chart.