Fewer than half of Americans oppose gay marriage, poll finds
48 replies, posted
[quote=CNN]CNN) -- Fewer than half of Americans oppose legalized same-sex marriage, according to a new poll on the issue released Wednesday, with significant shifts in public opinion on the issue just since last year.
More Americans continue to oppose gay marriage than support it, according to the poll, which was released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center. But for the first time since Pew starting asking about same sex marriage 15 years ago, fewer than half of those polled said they oppose legalizing the institution.
The poll revealed other firsts. For the first time since Pew began asking about the issue, more white mainline Protestants and white Catholics favor gay marriage than oppose it.
"The shift in opinion on same-sex marriage has been broad-based, occurring across many demographic, political and religious groups," Pew's polling analysis said.
The analysis noted that political independents, who were opposed to gay marriage by a wide margin just last year, are now divided on the issue.
The poll -- which combines two surveys conducted from July to September of this year -- found that 42 percent of Americans favor same-sex marriage, while 48 percent oppose it.
In polls conducted in 2009, 37 percent favored gay marriage while 54 percent were opposed, Pew said.
"The public continues to be far more supportive of gays and lesbians serving openly in the military than of allowing legal same-sex marriages," the Pew's polling analysis notes.
Sixty percent of Americans favor allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, while 30 percent oppose it. Support for gays serving openly in the military has remained fairly stable over the last five years, Pew said.
On gay marriage, the new poll found significant differences of opinions along age, racial and partisan lines.
Americans in the so-called Millennial Generation -- those born after the 1980s -- favor gay marriage by 53 percent to 39 percent, the poll found. Among those born between 1928 and 1945, just 29 percent favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally, while 59 percent are opposed.
Among Democrats, 53 percent support legalized gay marriage, while just 24 percent of Republicans do.
And while whites are evenly divided over gay marriage, the poll found, blacks oppose legalizing the institution by a wide margin.[/quote]
Good to see we're more accepting now
That's still not a very good margin.
why would anybody be against happy marriage
I don't see why anyone should oppose it.
[QUOTE=Mokkan13;25310863]I don't see why anyone should oppose it.[/QUOTE]
That one word that always starts a giant debate. You know the one I'm talking about.
[QUOTE=Communist Cake;25310906]That one word that always starts a giant debate. You know the one I'm talking about.[/QUOTE]
Buttsex?
its not accurate because they didnt take a poll of at least half the population :downs:
Idc about gay marriage.
But I care about civil unions and that everyone should be able to have them
[QUOTE=Doriol;25310849]why would anybody be against happy marriage[/QUOTE]
words never change meaning over time
[QUOTE=Athena;25311389]words never change meaning over time[/QUOTE]
it's a joke bro calm down
Everyone needs to shut the fuck up and let people live their lives. The United States was founded on the idea of individuals' rights and liberties. Keeping two people from getting married is a violation of natural rights. It is as simple as that. And don't give me this "the Bible defines marriage as..." bullshit. That's called a breach of the separation of Church and State.
[QUOTE=Kybalt;25310945]its not accurate because they didnt take a poll of at least half the population :downs:[/QUOTE]
That's not how polls work bro.
[QUOTE=Jimpy;25313435]That's not how polls work bro.[/QUOTE]
really thank you for sharing i hadnt realized [img]http://02d9656.netsoljsp.com/SarcMark/images/graphics/rk.png[/img]
[QUOTE=Kybalt;25313450]really thank you for sharing i hadnt realized [img]http://02d9656.netsoljsp.com/SarcMark/images/graphics/rk.png[/img][/QUOTE]
No problem brozini.
herp derp less then half of americans should be killed for having an opinion
[QUOTE=Communist Cake;25310906]That one word that always starts a giant debate. You know the one I'm talking about.[/QUOTE]
It's communism right?
I think what's happening is that marriage itself is not the big deal it used to be. Lots of people put off marriage for lots of reasons and just live together.
So when marriage itself is not such a big deal, it's harder to get all worked up over who can get married or not. Most people have bigger worries these days than if a gay couple wants to get married or not.
[QUOTE=Kybalt;25313450]really thank you for sharing i hadnt realized [img]http://02d9656.netsoljsp.com/SarcMark/images/graphics/rk.png[/img][/QUOTE]Is that a Sarcasm Mark? :v:
[QUOTE=Mokkan13;25310863]I don't see why anyone should oppose it.[/QUOTE]
I used to oppose gay marriage, but now I believe that everyone deserves equal rights.
[QUOTE=Paravin;25313634]herp derp less then half of americans should be killed for having an opinion[/QUOTE]
Why do you post like an idiot?
Knowing your posting history, i can't tell if this is sarcasm or not, I highly doubt you're being sarcastic.
[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;25323162]I used to oppose gay marriage, but now I believe that everyone deserves equal rights.[/QUOTE]
Good for you, it's a very mature step.
Nice to see progress being made, couldn't happen sooner enough if you ask me.
[QUOTE=kidwithsword;25311736]Keeping two people from getting married is a violation of natural rights. [/QUOTE]
Lol, marriage isn't natural.
[QUOTE=Stud Muffin;25323951]Lol, marriage isn't natural.[/QUOTE]
People are polygamist creatures by nature, that doesn't change the fact that you can have just one "life" partner, doesn't change that it's natural.
Hey homophobes!
If you're so concerned about the family, then you shouldn't divorce!
Dipshits.
Hey homophobes!
If you're so concerned about the family, then you shouldn't divorce!
Dipshits.
extroll thanks for posting!
I'm pretty sure if you'd given this survey the third option "i dont really give a shit" it woulda been very different
I'm pretty sure people lean one way or another pretty strongly in this issue though, so I don't think so.
Man the hicks are ruining everything for the rest of us
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.