In addition to nationwide Republican upsets, last week’s midterm election results brought about another surprise — almost one-third of gay, lesbian and bisexual voters opted for GOP candidates.

CNN exit polls showed that 31 percent of gay voters voted Republican, up from 19 percent in 2008. Three percent of this year’s electorate was made up of gay men and lesbians, according to the Washington Post’s website.

One of the key issues that has turned gay voters away from the Democratic Party is “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue, Don’t Harass,” a policy excluding gays from military service. Melissa Kennedy, press secretary for Log Cabin Republicans, a grassroots organization of gay and lesbian Republicans, said hers and other gay rights organizations are working to get the legislation to get Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell back on the floor, but have found little democratic support.

“But President Obama continues to repeal our successful efforts in the federal government,” Kennedy said.

But sexuality is not the sole determinant in how gay Americans vote. Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud, a gay conservative advocacy group, said gays are no different from other Americans, emphasizing “every issue is a gay issue.”

Rachael Wandrey, a member of Marquette’s Gay/Straight Alliance, said in an e-mail that the increase of gays and lesbians voting Republican in this election is a reflection of the main issue people are concerned about right now — the economy.

“These issues demonstrate the severe state of our economy in that people are now pushing to the backburner important social issues,” said Wandrey, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Kennedy said gay voters, like many other Americans, have become disillusioned with the current administration’s lack of success in improving the economic crisis.

“It is not shocking that such a high number voted Republican,” Kennedy said. “President Obama and the Democrats have continually failed to make (economic) progress while in office.”

LaSalvia agreed that the economy has been a tipping point in determining voter behavior. He said voters have been worried about spending, taxation and the growth of the government under the Obama administration.

“The message of the tea party resonated with gay voters across America,” LaSalvia said. “They are mad at the … government and concerned about their jobs and feeding their families.”

LaSalvia is hopeful that issues like estate tax, health care and Social Security will be addressed with the new Republican-dominated U.S. House of Representatives.

“There is no recognition of gay marriage, so all of these issues really affect gays,” LaSalvia said.

LaSalvia is a supporter of free market health care, where the government puts health care in the hands of the people and then they can decide what works best for them.

“By being able to go out to a free market, we can buy a policy that fits us, gay couples,” LaSalvia said. “This way we don’t have to go to the benevolent employer who won’t give us what we want.”

With the economy being the top priority for American voters, gay rights issues have taken a backseat. Wandrey said a Republican-dominated House makes the prospect of equal rights for LGBT members grim.

“We must not forget though, that equal rights are an American value, not just some party-based issue,” Wandrey said.