Fewer than half of Americans oppose gay marriage, poll finds

Shevanel · Oct 6, 2010

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/06/poll.gay.marriage/index.html?hpt=T1

(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.
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Revan · Oct 6, 2010

That's really good to hear. Maybe in another ten years it will actually reach 60%...

Danielle · Oct 7, 2010

I still don't think congress will do anything about it.

Miss Bubbles · Oct 7, 2010

Why can't people understand that it is just like when they were trying to tell blacks they couldn't do anything that whites could. It may not be racism but its denying us our basic rights.

Emberstone · Oct 7, 2010

Danielle said: ↑

I still don't think congress will do anything about it.
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not for lack of trying...

hard to get any lgbt stuff done when a whole side of the debate digs their feet in to try to pander to the homophobic elements of the right wing.

Holmes · Oct 7, 2010

Emberstone said: ↑

Danielle said: ↑

I still don't think congress will do anything about it.
Click to expand...

not for lack of trying...

hard to get any lgbt stuff done when a whole side of the debate digs their feet in to try to pander to the homophobic elements of the right wing.
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Like Obama?
[YOUTUBE]rJhQBZ1La0w[/YOUTUBE]
Not that he's the worst, but that a figure like him digs his heels does make things harder. Republicans like Carly Fiorina often claim to be merely taking the same position as Obama. Where was he with a great moving speech on the injustice of DADT?

kettlkorn · Oct 7, 2010

I've said this before, and I think that it is still true now. In between election times no politician gives a flying f about gay marriage. They don't care about abortion. They sure as hell don't care about immigration. But when election time comes around it's all we hear about. The republican right is starting to change its views on gay marriage. Why? It's election time, that's why. They are hedging their bets. In the end all these issues are for is dividing people up for votes, and the people who actually care are silenced.

The news from this poll is good though. With an issue like ours and with a government like ours a powerful social movement is required to get things done. Politicians might not like tackling it with any seriousness, but when everyone in the country agrees on it they don't really have a choice. Maybe this is our time eh?

excuseyou77 · Oct 7, 2010

Sigh. Another day, another poll.

Lady Gaga · Oct 7, 2010

Oh don't worry about getting gay marriage passed! Good ol' republicans will stop that. They're the real Americans!

>_>

Emberstone · Oct 7, 2010

Steven said: ↑

Oh don't worry about getting gay marriage passed! Good ol' republicans will stop that. They're the real Americans!

>_>
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dont forget, they have jesus on their side, but we, the gays, democrats, and moderates, we have GRILLED CHESSUS!!!

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ManySTG1C5A[/YOUTUBE]

Fewer than half of Americans oppose gay marriage, poll finds

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