http://www.365gay.com/news/poll-majority-support-gay-couple-rights/(New York City) The first national survey on LGBT rights since the passage of Proposition 8 in California shows that three-quarters of Americans favor either marriage or domestic partnerships/civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.
Gay and lesbian couples are able to marry in two states, and comprehensive civil union or domestic partnership laws exist in only five others and the District of Columbia.
Only about two in 10 say gay and lesbian couples should have no legal recognition.
The Pulse of Equality Survey was conducted by Harris Interactive for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
When it comes to deciding between marriage and civil unions the survey found that the public is about evenly divided with 47 percent favoring marriage and 49 supporting civil unions.
The survey also found a majority of Americans favor a broad range of other LGBT policies and legal protections.
Nearly seven out of 10 U.S. adults said they would oppose laws that would ban qualified gay and lesbian couples from adopting children.
More than sixty percent favor expanding hate crime laws to cover gay and transgender people.
Currently there is not federal hate crime law covering LGBT people. Hate crimes laws cover gay and transgender people in 11 states and the District of Columbia, and an additional 20 states’ laws cover sexual orientation but not gender identity.