POLL: Americans evenly divided between support for gay marriage, civil unions, and a complete ban.

[jefferson_dem]

AMERICAN VOTERS OPPOSE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY NATIONAL POLL FINDS,
BUT THEY DON’T WANT GOVERNMENT TO BAN IT

American voters oppose same-sex marriage 55 – 36 percent, but they don’t want government to get involved in banning the practice, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today. Democrats support same-sex marriage by a narrow 47 – 43 percent margin, while Republicans oppose it 80 – 14 percent and independent voters oppose it 49 – 43 percent.

Women oppose same-sex marriage 51 – 40 percent and men oppose it 61 – 31 percent.

Voters also say 50 – 44 percent that states should not give legal recognition to same-sex marriages performed in other states, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Given three choices, 32 percent of American voters say same-sex couples should be allowed to marry while 33 percent support civil unions for same-sex couples and 29 percent say there should be no legal recognition for same-sex couples.

But voters oppose 56 – 38 percent amending the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Democrats oppose such an amendment 64 – 30 percent, as do independent voters

61 – 34 percent, while Republicans favor a constitutional ban 56 – 38 percent.

By a narrow 49 – 45 percent margin, voters nationwide say their states should not attempt to ban same-sex marriage.

“American voters oppose same-sex marriage and they don’t want to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, but by a narrow margin, they don’t want their states to ban it,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “And they don’t want to amend the Constitution on this issue.

“Given a range of choices, they divide into thirds – for gay marriage, for civil unions, for a complete ban.”

<SNIP>

http://markhalperin.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/quinn1.doc

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[marmar]

2. "American voters oppose same-sex marriage 55 – 36 percent"

I just don't get it. Some friends of mine, liberal breeders like me, who are very supportive of gay rights, but get hung up on the concept of marriage.
So one day I said to a couple of them: "You support equal protection from discrimination for gay and lesbian couples, you support their right to adopt, you support equal benefits, you support all the rights for same-sex couples that opposite sex-couples receive."
Their response: "Of course."
So then I replied, "Well, you support same-sex marriage."
And both of them went into a diatribe about how marriage was different, and what they supported was the rights of marriage but not marriage itself.
Huh?
It's like there's some deep psychosis about the word "marriage." Perhaps it's the years of dogma, the fairytale of the bride in her long gown and groom in his tux. Whatever it is, it prevents normally rational people from giving a rational reaction.

But I suppose at some point in history, people reacted the same way in the Netherlands and Canada. And perhaps once the normalcy of same-sex marriage in Mass. and California sinks in, the same will happen here.
The further marginalization of the wacko Fundie right doesn't hurt, either.

[Alter Ego]

5. People associate marriage with religion.

Therein lies the problem. If "marriage" wasn't synonymous with "big bridal gown, tuxedo, church, minister, vows, cake, WTF", then there would be less difficulty.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

3. What was the exact formulation?

Exactly how you phrase the question is quite important in this case, because there are a non-trivial number of people who regard gay marriage as a better state of affairs, but civil unions as a better short-term political goal.

[Howler]

4. I truly Believe that....

All Gay Marriage bans will be over turned as Unconstitutional.
For me If the RW were intellectually honest they would admit their objections too same sex marriage are based solely on religious beliefs.
Our Constitution Implies Freedom of religion And Freedom FROM religion.
The Rw Religious beliefs are clearly interfering with a Gay citizens right to pursue happiness,liberty,justice.Not to mention equality.

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. Lies, damned lies, and statistics.

It bolsters opposition by not noting that the same "thirds" division means that 2/3 of the public FAVORS either equal marriage or civil unions.

Disturbing in the other direction is the note that 30% of Democrats would change the fucking constitution to write discrimination into the law of the land.

[jefferson_dem]

7. Actually, this is progress, as compared to previous polls.

http://www.pollingreport.com/civil.htm

[Captain Hilts]

8. The determining factor is AGE. nt

[Ian David]

9. Given three choices, 32 percent of American voters say same-sex couples should be allowed to marry..

Given three choices, 32 percent of American voters say same-sex couples should be allowed to marry while 33 percent support civil unions for same-sex couples and 29 percent say there should be no legal recognition for same-sex couples.
http://markhalperin.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/quinn1.doc


This is actually good news. Only 29% of Americans are giant bigoted douchebags.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

10. That's better than before though, right?

I seem to remember polls from about four years ago that showed only 25% of Americans supported gay marriage.