Poll: U.S. majority opposes anti-gay amendment

[Terran]

PlanetOut.com story

A majority of Americans are opposed to amending the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, according to a poll released this week by the Washington Post and ABC News.

Only 38 percent supported amending the Constitution. The majority, 58 percent, said it should left to the states to decide.

Americans are deeply divided on the issue, however. When asked specifically about legalizing gay marriage, 55 percent said same-sex couple should not be allowed to wed.

<snip>

(This paragraph is interesting. I think "region" is a typo for "religion".)

The poll found that same-sex marriage was supported by 56 percent of those under 40, two-thirds of those who profess no region and nearly seven in 10 liberals. Opponents of gay marriage include three in four senior citizens, three-quarters of conservatives and more than seven in 10 Republicans.

The 'under-40' crowd, that's encouraging. People are perhaps getting the message, as time goes by.

Dirk

[BayCityProgressive]

1. This issue is coming back to haunt the GOP

acceptance for gays is building fast. In Michigan we have a pro-gay Governor and the Republican who ran against her admitted he was on the losing side of the issue here in Michigan.

[Frodo]

2. I'm not sure that question is "ripe" yet

Most people don't think there IS "same-sex marriage" in this country. So there would be no reason to ban it in the Constitution. That doesn't mean that if the "crisis" comes to a head by a court deciding that states MUST allow it that people wouldn't change their minds quickly.

It's like the failure of the ERA not-so-many years ago. I'm sure that there are plenty of people still AGAINST equal rights for women, but the vast majority who voted against it thought women alread HAD equal rights and that other parts of the Constitution already gurantee them and there was no need for a new ammendment.

That really isn't the same thing.

Did they ask "Do you think 'same-sex marriage' should be legal?".... because it's THAT percentage that will determine support for an ammendment IF the issue ever comes to a head.

[judge_smales]

3. I really, really, REALLY hope

that the GOP trys for a Constitutional amendment. It would be beyond ugly.

[Cannikin]

4. They wont have to ....the 37th state to ban it, did so yesterday.

If the courts try to challenge the states, THEN they'll do the amendment.

[judge_smales]

6. I'm not sure how this will play out

the RW and Bu$h's religious base are VERY dissapointed not to see more tangible action against both abortion and "the erosion of the family". He needs to do something on that front before Nov.

[foreigncorrespondent]

9. They already have...

...see:

Introduced in the Senate: (S. J. RES. 26) http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:2:./temp/~c108rKuUNg::

Introduced in the House: (H. J. RES. 56) http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:3:./temp/~c108rKuUNg::

The House one already has 107 cosponsors, and the one in the Senate has 5 cosponsors.

[terrya]

5. The younger generation gets it.

About civil marriage and civil rights for gays and lesbians in general.

That's the most encouraging thing right now, at least to me.

Terry

[dsc]

7. With the exception of the US House

the percentage of people opposed doesn't matter, what matters is where they live. Every thing else is by state. To get to 38 states doesn't take a ton of people if you get a bunch of small states. If this passes the Congress I can easily see it getting the states. We are still less than 12 on states which have gay civil rights statutes.

[Cannikin]

8. Maybe I'll just have to move to a new state instead of new country.