Poll: 50 percent of Americans say they would support openly gay U.S. president

Half of the country said they could support an openly gay president of the United States, a new poll found Monday.

Fifty percent of respondents to the latest "60 Minutes"/Vanity Fair poll said they would support an openly gay person to serve as president. Forty-four percent said they were opposed.

The question was posed in connection to the military's plans to do away with the "Don't ask, don't tell policy," which currently prohibits gay and lesbian members from serving openly in the military.

The poll tested people's comfort with an openly gay president against two other political positions: Supreme Court justice and secretary of State.

Fifty-five percent said they're comfortable with an openly gay justice, while 40 percent said they're opposed. Fifty-six percent said they could support an openly gay secretary of State, while 39 percent were opposed.

Poll respondents' support increased for sports figures: Sixty-one percent said they'd back a gay commissioner of baseball, and 62 percent said they could support an openly gay quarterback in the Super Bowl.

The poll, conducted Feb. 26-March 1, has a 3 percent margin of error.