Posted on 03/23/2006 10:47:35 AM PST by metalmanx2j
WASHINGTON - The public backlash over gay marriage has receded since a controversial decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Court in 2003 to legalize those marriages stirred strong opposition, says a poll released Wednesday.
Gay marriage remains a divisive issue, with 51 percent opposing it, the poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found. But almost two-thirds, 63 percent, opposed gay marriage in February 2004.
"Most Americans still oppose gay marriage, but the levels of opposition are down and the number of strong opponents are down," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center. "This has some implications for the midterm elections if this trend is maintained. There are gay marriage ballot initiatives in numerous states."
Gay marriage got intense media coverage in 2004 after the Massachusetts court case, the decision by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to issue thousands of marriage licenses to gay couples and similar cases. But the intense focus on gay marriage has declined in the last year.
In 2004, opponents of gay marriage were able to pass ballot initiatives banning the practice in 11 states, from Georgia to Oregon. Those gay marriage initiatives also helped conservatives rally their voters to the polls.
The number of people who say they strongly oppose gay marriage has dropped from 42 percent in early 2004 to 28 percent now. Strong opposition has dropped sharply among senior citizens and Republicans.
People are now evenly split on allowing adoptions by gay couples and six in 10 now favor allowing gays to serve openly in the military.
Legal challenges of laws on gay marriage could result in more court decisions that stir public opinion, but this midterm election year is starting with far less public anxiety about one of the nation's most volatile social issues.
The telephone poll of 1,405 adults was conducted March 8-12 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
We just passed a constitutional amendment against it by about 75% here in TX. In fact, seems like everywhere it;s been on the ballot it's been passed by over 70%. This is the phenomenon Ann Coulter was talking about regarding the President. They had us convinced not one person in the country supported him, then he won reelection. Then by 11/23/04 they were reporting "Support For Bush Slipping."
The fact that I know this is bull gives me little comfort because I know the homo-leninists would love nothing more than to shove it down my throat against my will.
Mind if I use that? It's much more succinct than "baby-killing fudge-packing socialists".
You misspelled "pole".
Pew.
Marriage has NEVER had a Butt Crack Mountain meaning. It has always been male+female. The burden of persuasion for a change in the meaning of marriage falls squarely on those who would change it, and it is not the constitutional responsibility of the judiciary to cram homo-marriage up the American people's brokebacks.
I sense a zotting in your future...
Thank you, that's precisely the sort of information I was looking for, makes sense.
Poll: Liberal Denial Based Delusion Is Increasing; Subjective Poll Analysis Aids The Effort
Good one.
You're lost as a bat in a blizzard if you're serious.
Just because support for Bush slips doesn't mean support for traditional marriage slips. In almost every state, the gay marriage opposition far exceeds the Bush vote. A good chunk of Democrats oppose gay marriage.
Even in the most liberal states, the majority oppose gay marriage.
For this "poll" to have any meaning it would have to be state by state. I would not be surprised if most of New York and other "blue" states support a anal marriage. Given the high populations of these States, queers win. This is meaningless unless we are a "Federal" Nation with no States rights. I pray more red States protect themselves from the "marjority" on the costs with constitutional amendments. Also, if the left permitted Californians to actually vote the issue of gay marriage, I think they would lose - BIG TIME. That is the ultimate "poll."
I doubt it even in the bluest of blue states. The majority aren't THAT liberal...plus the liberal pockets get countered by the rural areas where they would vote against gay marriage in droves...
There is little evidence that this will change, for example support for "gay marriage" and/or "civil unions" continues to increase among younger Americans even as opposition to abortion is increasing in the same groups.
So whatever the short-term reasons for this shift (if real) they are embedded in longer term trends that pretty much insure increasing support for less restrictive policies over time.
####Media polls are useful in that they give insight into what the dinosaur media WISHES were true.####
Exactly! This article claims that only 51% oppose gay "marriage". But in the states that have held referenda on this issue in the past few years, the anti-gay "marriage" side won easily, always by comfortable margins and often by tallies as high as 70 or 80 percent.
I don't believe there's a single state in the union where a majority would support gay "marriage". It might be pretty close in a four or five states (as in 54% or so against) but I'd say opposition is above 60% in all but a few states and at 70% or higher in two-thirds of the states.
Liberals, gay agenda pushers and their media win in their phoney polls.
Conservatives win elections.
Opposition to gay marriage is declining every where except where people are allowed to vote on the issue...
And white, straight women.:)
1. Are people (here, GOP, Conservatives in general,etc.) opposed to "civil unions" and/or any legal recognition of rights between homosexual partners (hospital visitation, property, etc.)?
I can only speak for myself but here is my point of view: In the eyes of the state, marriage is noting except a contract between two adults - no different than a business partnership. My church, on the other hand, see marriage as a holy sacrament between a man and a woman. Because there is a "separation between church and state" the contract of marriage is perfectly legal. Furthermore, I personally don't care what kind of partnership two consenting adults enter into.
2. What is the basis for this? (besides religion, eg. public welfare, safety, health, etc.)
See above
Furthermore, much like the spoiled child acting up to get attention, many high profile gay men and lesbians want the whole "marriage" ceremony to get attention.
As with most areas of my life, if it doesn't directly effect me, I don't concern myself too much with it.
("Not that there's anything wrong with that..." "No, not at all.")
Did anyone ask them if they would care if their sons or daughtes married a queer??
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