Same-sex marriage in the United States public opinion
Encyclopedia
Public opinion on same-sex marriage in the United States
has been tracked by polling data for well over a decade. As of the year 2010, polls provide differing answers to the question of how the majority of Americans
view same-sex marriage, although it is clear that support for same-sex marriage has increased over the past decade.
When the Defense of Marriage Act
was passed in 1996, only 25% of the American public supported same-sex marriage. Since that time, public opinion has gradually moved in the direction of greater support for same-sex marriage. An August 2010 CNN
poll was the first national poll to show majority support for same-sex marriage. In 2011, Gallup, ABC News
/Washington Post, and CNN
/Opinion Research polling data showed that a majority of Americans approve of same-sex marriage.
Opposition to same-sex marriage is correlated with religious attendance, older age, Republican Party
affiliation, and residence in the South and Midwest. Support for same-sex marriage correlates with lack of religious affiliation, young age, Democratic Party
affiliation, and residence in the Northeast and on the West Coast
.
In some states, particularly in the Northeast, the West Coast, and the Midwest, polls have shown majority support for same-sex marriage.
As of October 2011, same-sex marriage was legal in six states and the District of Columbia, while voters in "31 states have now rejected same-sex marriage by referendum". As of January 2010, 29 states had state "constitutional amendments restricting marriage to one man and one woman", while 12 others had laws "restricting marriage to one man and one woman."
Polls showed that African Americans were the most likely ethnic group to oppose same-sex marriage.
A March 2011 telephone-survey of 1005 adults by ABC News
and the Washington Post found that, for the first time, the majority of Americans favor same-sex marriage. 53 percent of those polled supported same-sex marriage while 44 percent remained opposed; support was highest among younger Americans and lower among conservatives, Republicans, and evangelicals. Pollster Gary Langster describes this as a "milestone result that caps a dramatic, long-term shift in public attitudes". From a low of 32 percent in a 2004 survey of registered voters, support for same-sex marriage has grown to 53 percent today. Forty-four percent are opposed, down 18 points from that 2004 survey.
In March 2011, Democracy Corps conducted a survey of 1,000 likely 2012 election voters
in 50 congressional districts considered political battlegrounds. It asked respondents to rate their feelings on the same-sex marriage issue on a 0-100 scale, with 100 being "very warm" or favorable feelings, and 0 being "very cold" or unfavorable feelings. 42% were on the "cool" or unfavorable side, and 35% were on the "warm" or favorable side.
A CNN
/Opinion Research Poll released in April 2011 indicated that more than half of all Americans believe that marriages between gay or lesbian couples should be legally valid. With 51 percent of respondents saying that same-sex marriages should be legal, it is the first time that a CNN poll has found majority support for same-sex marriage. The poll shows that there remains a strong partisan divide on this issue. Same-sex marriage is supported by 64% of Democrats, 55% of independents, and only 27% of Republicans.
A May 2011 Gallup poll indicated that a majority of Americans now supports recognition of same-sex marriage. Support for legal recognition of same-sex marriage outpolled opposition 53% to 45%. Gallup also measured a larger than normal increase as compared to the previous year. Support jumped from 44% to 53% in the last year alone. This 9% increase in 1 year is the highest increase in a single year, indicating that support increased faster in 2011 than any previous year in Gallup history.
According to a CNN
/Opinion Research Poll released on August 12, 2010, American support for same-sex marriage increased over the previous year. This poll showed that 49% of 513 respondents thought gays and lesbians do have a constitutional right to get married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid, an increase from 45% in 2009. 51% disagreed, a decrease from 54% in 2009. In another sample of 496 respondents, the same poll showed that 52% thought gays and lesbians should have a constitutional right to get married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid, and 46% said they should not. The poll has a sampling error of ±4.5%.
An August, 2010 Associated Press
/National Constitution Center
poll found growing support for allowing same-sex marriage in the United States
. In this poll of 1,007 respondents, 52% agreed that the federal government should give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same sex, an increase from 46% in 2009. 46% disagreed, compared to 53% in 2009.
An August 2010 poll released by Public Policy Polling
indicated that 57% of 606 American voters think same-sex marriage should be illegal, while 33% think it should be legal. The survey’s margin of error is ±4.0%. Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify.
A Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll of 900 registered voters found 37% supporting legal marriage and 29% supporting legal partnerships, while 28% said there should be no legal recognition. The poll has a margin of error of ±3%.
A national exit poll
of 17,504 voters conducted by CNN during the 2010 midterm elections
in November 2010 found 53% oppose legal recognition of gay marriage with 41% in support.
/Washington Post poll found support for allowing same sex couples to marry in the United States ahead of opposition to it for the first time, with support at 49% and opposition at 46% while those with no opinion on the matter was at 5%. In addition, 53% believe that gay marriages performed in other states should be legal in their states. Among Democrats, 62% are in favor of gay marriage while 74% of Republicans are opposed with 52% of Independents in favor of gay marriage.
A national poll on same-sex marriage in the United States was conducted during April 22–26, 2009 by CBS
/New York Times and found that 42% support marriage for same sex couples, 25% support full civil unions, and 28% oppose any legal recognition of same sex couples. 5% of respondents were unsure.
A USA Today
/Gallup Poll conducted on May 7–10, 2009, however, finds support for allowing same sex couples to marry in the United States at only 40%, lower than it was in 2003, with 57% opposed to same-sex marriage. According to this poll, 48% of Americans feel that society would change for the worse if same sex marriage were legalized, the same percentage as a 2003 poll. The poll asked: "Which comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry. OR, Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry. OR, There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship."
A CBS News
poll conducted from March 12–26, 2009 asked:
"Which comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry. OR, Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry. OR, There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship."
Nate Silver
noted that the discrepancy in support for same-sex marriage appears to result from 5-10% of respondents who favor civil unions over same-sex marriage, but given only two choices, will support same-sex marriage.
A LifeWay Research
poll conducted in August 2009 found that 61% of Americans born between 1980 and 1991 see nothing wrong with two people of the same gender getting married while 39% disagree. The survey was conducted on a demographically representative survey of 1,200 U.S. adults between 18 and 29 years old.
, with 55 percent opposed, and 36 percent in favor. An ABC News poll found that the majority (58%) of Americans remained opposed to same-sex marriages, while the minority (36%) support them. However, on the question of a constitutional amendment, more are now opposed than for it. The majority (51%) of Americans say the issue should be left for the states to decide, while 43% would agree with amending the Constitution.
When asked about the legal status, a July 2008 poll by Quinnipiac University
revealed that 32% of respondents would allow homosexual partners to legally marry, 33% would permit them to form civil unions, and 29% would grant them no legal recognition. A December 2008 poll revealed that 32% of respondents support the concept of civil unions, 31% would offer full marriage rights to same-sex couples, and 30% oppose any legal recognition for gay and lesbian partnerships.
Prior to this poll, Gallup conducted a poll on the issue through May 2006. The poll found opposition to same-sex marriage had fallen slightly, as other polls found a sharper dip. In the poll, when asked if marriages between homosexuals should be recognized by law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages, 58% (down 1 point from Aug 2005, and 9 points from March 1996) of Americans responded that they should not be recognized. 39% (up 2 points from Aug 2005, and 12 points from 1996) felt same-sex marriages should be recognized by law. If "homosexuals" is replaced with "same-sex couples", 42% back same-sex marriage while 56% oppose it.
A similar poll conducted in March 2006, a Princeton Survey Research Associates / Pew Research Center poll concluded 39% of Americans support same-sex marriage, while 51% oppose it, and 10% were undecided. In December 2004, a poll by the same company found 61% of Americans opposed - with 38% "strongly opposed". Now, less than 2 years later, just 23% are "strongly opposed". However, an identical poll taken by the same group in June 2006 found a rise in those opposed to same-sex marriage, with 56% disapproving of the practice.
The most recent poll prior to this also showed opposition to gay marriages had fallen. An Opinion Dynamics / Fox News poll released April 6 of 2006. According to this poll, 55% of Americans oppose same-sex marriage, 33% support it, and 11% are unsure of where they stand.
"Do you think marriages between homosexuals should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?" N=492, MoE ± 5 (Form A)
In the following table, "Y" means "Should Be Valid"; "N" means "Should Not Be Valid"; and "U" means "Unsure".
A poll taken June 22, 2006 by Rasmussen Reports
asked "Should marriage be defined in terms of a union between a man and a woman? Or should marriage be defined as a union between any two people including same sex couples?" 68% replied that "marriage is between man and woman", 29% said marriage "between any two people" and 4% were "not sure".
CBS News
poll historical results asking:
/Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey poll asking:
A further Pew study in March 2006 found that 51% oppose gay marriage, with 39% supporting it, and the level of "strongly opposing" gay marriage has fallen from 42% to 28%. Pew's May 2008 Survey found that for the first time, a majority of people do not oppose gay marriage at 49%. 20% oppose and 29% Strongly oppose gay marriage, up 1% from the March 2006 Pew Research Results.
" in which individuals opposed to same-sex marriage are reluctant to express their true views to pollsters.
by Jeffrey Lax and Justin Phillips of Columbia University
, a majority of 18-29 year old Americans in 38 states support same sex marriage while in only 6 states do less than 45% of 18-29 year olds support gay marriage. At the same time not a single state shows support for gay marriage greater than 35% amongst those 64 and older. The result is that even in the state with the greatest overall support for gay marriage, those 64 and older will be less supportive of gay marriage than 18-29 year olds in the state least receptive to gay marriage. This suggests that, over time, same sex marriage will continue to gain support simply due to the increasing number of more supportive youth and the decrease of less supportive, seniors. Lax and Phillips also suggest a "tipping point" effect at which point support for gay marriage begins to grow increasingly quickly once a certain level of support is reached by the population. This would explain why support for gay rights has increased more quickly among all age groups in states that were initially the most supportive of gay rights than in states with low initial levels of support.
Pew polling shows that older generations show less support for same-sex marriage than newer ones. Over the years 2001 through 2011, those born between 1928 and 1945 increased their support from 21% to 32%; those born between 1946 and 1964 increased their support from 32 to 37 percent; and those born between 1965 and 1980 decreased support from 49% to 46%. The generation born in 1981 and later was first tracked in 2003, when they voiced 51% support; by 2011, that figure had risen to 64%.
States in which polls showed majority support for gay marriage in recent years include Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia, and some polls have shown majority support in Hawaii, California, Oregon and Washington.
While the population of the New England states are generally accepting of same sex marriages, polls show that the population of the one non-New England state to recognize same sex marriage, Iowa, does not have a majority in favor of same sex marriage. A poll from Iowa conducted for the Des Moines Register
indicates that Iowans are evenly divided over a state constitutional amendment that would overturn the Iowa court decision, with a plurality disagreeing with the decision and a vast majority (92%) stating that the decision hasn't impacted their lives. Polling prior to the state supreme court decision legalizing same sex marriage place support in the high thirties or low forties. This is still slightly higher than the national average. A breakdown of voter opinion by age brackets in Iowa, as elsewhere, shows younger Iowans overwhelmingly supporting same sex unions; 60% of those in the 18-30 age bracket supported gay marriage in an April 2009 poll.
Support for same sex unions does not guarantee state Supreme Court decisions or legislative action. New York voters have registered consistent support for same sex unions in polling dating back to 2005. However, New York state government did not grant marriage licenses to same sex couples until July 2011. Similarly, there is robust support in most states for either same sex marriage or civil unions, but due to past initiatives, legislation, and/or constitutional amendments, these states currently ban same sex unions. 30 states currently have constitutional amendments against same sex marriage. Some of those amendments, such as those in Virginia, Ohio, and Wisconsin ban both marriages and civil unions. However, several states are now considering reversing bans that have recently been enacted. Even some conservative politicians, such as Jon Huntsman
, former governor of Utah, have begun to come out in favor of some form of same sex union.
Public opinion on same sex marriage and unions in the United States thus reveals a great deal of change in a short period of time and significant regional disparity. While New England
, the Pacific Coast and northern Middle Atlantic states may support full-fledged marriage, comparisons of polling from a decade past to today reveals significant growth in support for same sex marriages and civil unions in those regions. Meanwhile polling from other regions show that while support for same sex marriages or civil unions have increased across the country, the growth of support is not uniform, with a significantly lower level of support occurring in the Deep South
compared to the rest of the country. Given the wide diversity of opinions within the US, many supporters of same sex unions believe that the most accurate way to discuss support for same sex unions in the United States is on a state-by-state or region-to-region basis.
Same-sex marriage in the United States
The federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage in the United States, but such marriages are recognized by some individual states. The lack of federal recognition was codified in 1996 by the Defense of Marriage Act, before Massachusetts became the first state to grant marriage licenses...
has been tracked by polling data for well over a decade. As of the year 2010, polls provide differing answers to the question of how the majority of Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
view same-sex marriage, although it is clear that support for same-sex marriage has increased over the past decade.
When the Defense of Marriage Act
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
was passed in 1996, only 25% of the American public supported same-sex marriage. Since that time, public opinion has gradually moved in the direction of greater support for same-sex marriage. An August 2010 CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
poll was the first national poll to show majority support for same-sex marriage. In 2011, Gallup, ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
/Washington Post, and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
/Opinion Research polling data showed that a majority of Americans approve of same-sex marriage.
Opposition to same-sex marriage is correlated with religious attendance, older age, Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
affiliation, and residence in the South and Midwest. Support for same-sex marriage correlates with lack of religious affiliation, young age, Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
affiliation, and residence in the Northeast and on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
.
In some states, particularly in the Northeast, the West Coast, and the Midwest, polls have shown majority support for same-sex marriage.
As of October 2011, same-sex marriage was legal in six states and the District of Columbia, while voters in "31 states have now rejected same-sex marriage by referendum". As of January 2010, 29 states had state "constitutional amendments restricting marriage to one man and one woman", while 12 others had laws "restricting marriage to one man and one woman."
Polls showed that African Americans were the most likely ethnic group to oppose same-sex marriage.
Polls in 2011
Public support for same-sex marriage continues to edge upward. A national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted 2/22/11 – 3/1/11 among 1,504 adults, finds about as many adults now favor (45%) as oppose (46%) allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally. In a Pew Research survey conducted in 2009, just 37% backed same-sex marriage while 54% were opposed. Opposition to same-sex marriage has declined by 19 percentage points since 1996, when 65% opposed same-sex marriage and only 27% were in favor. As has been the case since 1996, there is a wide partisan division on the question of same-sex marriage. Currently 57% of Democrats favor making it legal, while only 23% of Republicans agree. Independents (at 51% in favor) are more similar to Democrats than to Republicans, in part because 46% of Republican-leaning independents are supportive of same-sex marriage, along with 58% of independents who lean Democratic.A March 2011 telephone-survey of 1005 adults by ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
and the Washington Post found that, for the first time, the majority of Americans favor same-sex marriage. 53 percent of those polled supported same-sex marriage while 44 percent remained opposed; support was highest among younger Americans and lower among conservatives, Republicans, and evangelicals. Pollster Gary Langster describes this as a "milestone result that caps a dramatic, long-term shift in public attitudes". From a low of 32 percent in a 2004 survey of registered voters, support for same-sex marriage has grown to 53 percent today. Forty-four percent are opposed, down 18 points from that 2004 survey.
In March 2011, Democracy Corps conducted a survey of 1,000 likely 2012 election voters
United States elections, 2012
The 2012 United States elections will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. The 57th quadrennial presidential election will be held on this date, coinciding with Senate elections where 33 races will occur, as well as House of Representatives elections to elect the members for the 113th Congress...
in 50 congressional districts considered political battlegrounds. It asked respondents to rate their feelings on the same-sex marriage issue on a 0-100 scale, with 100 being "very warm" or favorable feelings, and 0 being "very cold" or unfavorable feelings. 42% were on the "cool" or unfavorable side, and 35% were on the "warm" or favorable side.
A CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
/Opinion Research Poll released in April 2011 indicated that more than half of all Americans believe that marriages between gay or lesbian couples should be legally valid. With 51 percent of respondents saying that same-sex marriages should be legal, it is the first time that a CNN poll has found majority support for same-sex marriage. The poll shows that there remains a strong partisan divide on this issue. Same-sex marriage is supported by 64% of Democrats, 55% of independents, and only 27% of Republicans.
A May 2011 Gallup poll indicated that a majority of Americans now supports recognition of same-sex marriage. Support for legal recognition of same-sex marriage outpolled opposition 53% to 45%. Gallup also measured a larger than normal increase as compared to the previous year. Support jumped from 44% to 53% in the last year alone. This 9% increase in 1 year is the highest increase in a single year, indicating that support increased faster in 2011 than any previous year in Gallup history.
According to a CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
/Opinion Research Poll released on August 12, 2010, American support for same-sex marriage increased over the previous year. This poll showed that 49% of 513 respondents thought gays and lesbians do have a constitutional right to get married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid, an increase from 45% in 2009. 51% disagreed, a decrease from 54% in 2009. In another sample of 496 respondents, the same poll showed that 52% thought gays and lesbians should have a constitutional right to get married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid, and 46% said they should not. The poll has a sampling error of ±4.5%.
An August, 2010 Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
/National Constitution Center
National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center is an organization that seeks to expand awareness and understanding of the United States Constitution and operates a museum to advance those purposes....
poll found growing support for allowing same-sex marriage in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In this poll of 1,007 respondents, 52% agreed that the federal government should give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same sex, an increase from 46% in 2009. 46% disagreed, compared to 53% in 2009.
An August 2010 poll released by Public Policy Polling
Public Policy Polling
Public Policy Polling is an American Democratic Party-affiliated polling firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina. PPP was founded in 2001 by businessman and Democratic pollster Dean Debnam, the firm's current president and chief executive officer...
indicated that 57% of 606 American voters think same-sex marriage should be illegal, while 33% think it should be legal. The survey’s margin of error is ±4.0%. Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify.
A Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll of 900 registered voters found 37% supporting legal marriage and 29% supporting legal partnerships, while 28% said there should be no legal recognition. The poll has a margin of error of ±3%.
A national exit poll
Exit poll
An election exit poll is a poll of voters taken immediately after they have exited the polling stations. Unlike an opinion poll, which asks whom the voter plans to vote for or some similar formulation, an exit poll asks whom the voter actually voted for. A similar poll conducted before actual...
of 17,504 voters conducted by CNN during the 2010 midterm elections
United States elections, 2010
The 2010 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. During this midterm election year, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 37 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate were contested in this election along with 38 state and territorial...
in November 2010 found 53% oppose legal recognition of gay marriage with 41% in support.
Polls in 2009
An April 30, 2009 ABC NewsABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
/Washington Post poll found support for allowing same sex couples to marry in the United States ahead of opposition to it for the first time, with support at 49% and opposition at 46% while those with no opinion on the matter was at 5%. In addition, 53% believe that gay marriages performed in other states should be legal in their states. Among Democrats, 62% are in favor of gay marriage while 74% of Republicans are opposed with 52% of Independents in favor of gay marriage.
A national poll on same-sex marriage in the United States was conducted during April 22–26, 2009 by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
/New York Times and found that 42% support marriage for same sex couples, 25% support full civil unions, and 28% oppose any legal recognition of same sex couples. 5% of respondents were unsure.
A USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
/Gallup Poll conducted on May 7–10, 2009, however, finds support for allowing same sex couples to marry in the United States at only 40%, lower than it was in 2003, with 57% opposed to same-sex marriage. According to this poll, 48% of Americans feel that society would change for the worse if same sex marriage were legalized, the same percentage as a 2003 poll. The poll asked: "Which comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry. OR, Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry. OR, There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship."
| Legal Marriage | Civil Unions | No Legal Recognition | Unsure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Respondents | 42% | 25% | 28% | 5% |
| Republicans | 18% | 31% | 49% | 2% |
| Democrats | 52% | 22% | 21% | 5% |
| Independents | 43% | 26% | 25% | 6% |
A CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
poll conducted from March 12–26, 2009 asked:
"Which comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry. OR, Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry. OR, There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship."
| Legal marriage | Civil union | No recognition | Unsure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All political parties | 33% | 27% | 35% | 5% |
| Republicans | 6% | 34% | 59% | 1% |
| Democrats | 46% | 23% | 26% | 5% |
| Independents | 37% | 26% | 30% | 7% |
Nate Silver
Nate Silver
Nathaniel Read "Nate" Silver is an American statistician, psephologist, and writer. Silver first gained public recognition for developing PECOTA, a system for forecasting the performance and career development of Major League Baseball players, which he sold to and then managed for Baseball...
noted that the discrepancy in support for same-sex marriage appears to result from 5-10% of respondents who favor civil unions over same-sex marriage, but given only two choices, will support same-sex marriage.
A LifeWay Research
LifeWay Christian Resources
LifeWay Christian Resources, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the largest providers of Christian resources in the world. LifeWay has been recognized as one of the "Best Employers in Tennessee" by BusinessTN magazine.-Background:...
poll conducted in August 2009 found that 61% of Americans born between 1980 and 1991 see nothing wrong with two people of the same gender getting married while 39% disagree. The survey was conducted on a demographically representative survey of 1,200 U.S. adults between 18 and 29 years old.
Polls in 2006-2008
In a poll conducted on July 17, 2008, by Quinnipiac UniversityQuinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Hamden, Connecticut, United States at the foot of Sleeping Giant State Park...
, with 55 percent opposed, and 36 percent in favor. An ABC News poll found that the majority (58%) of Americans remained opposed to same-sex marriages, while the minority (36%) support them. However, on the question of a constitutional amendment, more are now opposed than for it. The majority (51%) of Americans say the issue should be left for the states to decide, while 43% would agree with amending the Constitution.
When asked about the legal status, a July 2008 poll by Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Hamden, Connecticut, United States at the foot of Sleeping Giant State Park...
revealed that 32% of respondents would allow homosexual partners to legally marry, 33% would permit them to form civil unions, and 29% would grant them no legal recognition. A December 2008 poll revealed that 32% of respondents support the concept of civil unions, 31% would offer full marriage rights to same-sex couples, and 30% oppose any legal recognition for gay and lesbian partnerships.
Prior to this poll, Gallup conducted a poll on the issue through May 2006. The poll found opposition to same-sex marriage had fallen slightly, as other polls found a sharper dip. In the poll, when asked if marriages between homosexuals should be recognized by law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages, 58% (down 1 point from Aug 2005, and 9 points from March 1996) of Americans responded that they should not be recognized. 39% (up 2 points from Aug 2005, and 12 points from 1996) felt same-sex marriages should be recognized by law. If "homosexuals" is replaced with "same-sex couples", 42% back same-sex marriage while 56% oppose it.
A similar poll conducted in March 2006, a Princeton Survey Research Associates / Pew Research Center poll concluded 39% of Americans support same-sex marriage, while 51% oppose it, and 10% were undecided. In December 2004, a poll by the same company found 61% of Americans opposed - with 38% "strongly opposed". Now, less than 2 years later, just 23% are "strongly opposed". However, an identical poll taken by the same group in June 2006 found a rise in those opposed to same-sex marriage, with 56% disapproving of the practice.
The most recent poll prior to this also showed opposition to gay marriages had fallen. An Opinion Dynamics / Fox News poll released April 6 of 2006. According to this poll, 55% of Americans oppose same-sex marriage, 33% support it, and 11% are unsure of where they stand.
Older polls
CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. April 29-May 1, 2005. Adults nationwide."Do you think marriages between homosexuals should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?" N=492, MoE ± 5 (Form A)
In the following table, "Y" means "Should Be Valid"; "N" means "Should Not Be Valid"; and "U" means "Unsure".
| Poll Date | Y | N | U |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/29-5/1/2005 | 39 | 56 | 5 |
| 3/18-3/20/2005 | 28 | 68 | 4 |
| 7/19-7/21/2004 | 32 | 62 | 6 |
| 3/5-3/7/2004 | 33 | 61 | 6 |
| 2/16-2/17/2004 | 32 | 64 | 4 |
| 2/6-2/8/2004 | 36 | 59 | 5 |
| 12/2003 | 31 | 65 | 4 |
| 10/2003 | 35 | 61 | 4 |
| 6/2003 | 39 | 55 | 6 |
| 1/2000 | 34 | 62 | 4 |
| 2/1999 | 35 | 62 | 3 |
| 3/1996 | 27 | 68 | 5 |
A poll taken June 22, 2006 by Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
asked "Should marriage be defined in terms of a union between a man and a woman? Or should marriage be defined as a union between any two people including same sex couples?" 68% replied that "marriage is between man and woman", 29% said marriage "between any two people" and 4% were "not sure".
CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
poll historical results asking:
- "Which comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry. OR, Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry. OR, There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship."
Legal marriage Civil union No recognition Unsure May 30 - June 3, 2008 30% 28% 36% 6% March 7–11, 2007 28% 32% 35% 5% October 27–31, 2006 28% 29% 38% 5% February 24–28, 2005 23% 34% 41% 2% November 18–21, 2004 21% 32% 44% 3% July 11–15, 2004 28% 31% 38% 3% May 20–23, 2004 28% 29% 40% 3% March 10–14, 2004 22% 33% 40% 5%
- The same CBS News Poll highlighting regional, political party affiliations and age differences in views. May 20–23, 2004. Nationwide:
| Demographic | Marriage | Civil union | No recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 28% | 29% | 40% |
| Republicans Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
13% | 33% | 53% |
| Democrats Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
32% | 28% | 36% |
| Independents | 37% | 27% | 33% |
| 18–29 years | 43% | 32% | 25% |
| 30-44 | 29% | 25% | 44% |
| 45-64 | 26% | 29% | 41% |
| 65 & older | 12% | 32% | 51% |
| Northeast | 35% | 31% | 33% |
| Midwest Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest.... |
26% | 23% | 47% |
| South Southern United States The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States... |
23% | 26% | 48% |
| West Western United States .The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time... |
31% | 36% | 28% |
Pew Research
The Pew Research CenterPew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is an American think tank organization based in Washington, D.C. that provides information on issues, attitudes and trends shaping the United States and the world. The Center and its projects receive funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In 1990, Donald S...
/Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey poll asking:
- "Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally?" (Margin of error three percent)
Date Favor Oppose Unsure May 21–25, 2008 38% 49% 13% August, 2007 36% 55% 9% March 8–12, 2006 39% 51% 10% July 13–17, 2005 36% 53% 11% December 1–16, 2004 32% 61% 7% August 5–10, 2004 29% 60% 11% July 2004 32% 56% 12% March 2004 32% 59% 9% February 2004 30% 63% 7% November 2003 30% 62% 8% October 2004 30% 58% 12% - "Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into legal agreements with each other that would give them many of the same rights as married couples? (Margin of error three percent)
Date Favor Oppose Unsure July 13–17, 2005 53% 40% 7% August 5–10, 2004 48% 45% 7% July 2004 49% 43% 8% March 2004 49% 44% 7% October 2003 45% 47% 8%
A further Pew study in March 2006 found that 51% oppose gay marriage, with 39% supporting it, and the level of "strongly opposing" gay marriage has fallen from 42% to 28%. Pew's May 2008 Survey found that for the first time, a majority of people do not oppose gay marriage at 49%. 20% oppose and 29% Strongly oppose gay marriage, up 1% from the March 2006 Pew Research Results.
"Bradley Effect"
Commentators have noted instances where polling data has overstated voter opposition to referenda banning same-sex marriage; some have suggested that there may be a variation of the "Bradley EffectBradley effect
The Bradley effect, less commonly called the Wilder effect, is a theory proposed to explain observed discrepancies between voter opinion polls and election outcomes in some United States government elections where a white candidate and a non-white candidate run against each other...
" in which individuals opposed to same-sex marriage are reluctant to express their true views to pollsters.
Generational differences
It has been noted that the biggest factor in the growth of support for same sex marriage and civil unions has been driven by younger Americans, including young conservatives, who are far more favorably inclined to both civil unions and same sex marriage than seniors. In one meta-analysisMeta-analysis
In statistics, a meta-analysis combines the results of several studies that address a set of related research hypotheses. In its simplest form, this is normally by identification of a common measure of effect size, for which a weighted average might be the output of a meta-analyses. Here the...
by Jeffrey Lax and Justin Phillips of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, a majority of 18-29 year old Americans in 38 states support same sex marriage while in only 6 states do less than 45% of 18-29 year olds support gay marriage. At the same time not a single state shows support for gay marriage greater than 35% amongst those 64 and older. The result is that even in the state with the greatest overall support for gay marriage, those 64 and older will be less supportive of gay marriage than 18-29 year olds in the state least receptive to gay marriage. This suggests that, over time, same sex marriage will continue to gain support simply due to the increasing number of more supportive youth and the decrease of less supportive, seniors. Lax and Phillips also suggest a "tipping point" effect at which point support for gay marriage begins to grow increasingly quickly once a certain level of support is reached by the population. This would explain why support for gay rights has increased more quickly among all age groups in states that were initially the most supportive of gay rights than in states with low initial levels of support.
Pew polling shows that older generations show less support for same-sex marriage than newer ones. Over the years 2001 through 2011, those born between 1928 and 1945 increased their support from 21% to 32%; those born between 1946 and 1964 increased their support from 32 to 37 percent; and those born between 1965 and 1980 decreased support from 49% to 46%. The generation born in 1981 and later was first tracked in 2003, when they voiced 51% support; by 2011, that figure had risen to 64%.
Regional differences
Recent polls have consistently shown that the nation can be divided into roughly equal thirds: one third supports gay marriage completely, another supports only civil unions, and the last is against any form of union entirely. Recently it has become common for polls to report that the majority of respondents support gay marriage in many Northeastern states, while some but not all polling have reported majority support in some Pacific Coast states.States in which polls showed majority support for gay marriage in recent years include Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia, and some polls have shown majority support in Hawaii, California, Oregon and Washington.
While the population of the New England states are generally accepting of same sex marriages, polls show that the population of the one non-New England state to recognize same sex marriage, Iowa, does not have a majority in favor of same sex marriage. A poll from Iowa conducted for the Des Moines Register
Des Moines Register
The Des Moines Register is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. A separate edition of the Register is sold throughout much of Iowa.-History:...
indicates that Iowans are evenly divided over a state constitutional amendment that would overturn the Iowa court decision, with a plurality disagreeing with the decision and a vast majority (92%) stating that the decision hasn't impacted their lives. Polling prior to the state supreme court decision legalizing same sex marriage place support in the high thirties or low forties. This is still slightly higher than the national average. A breakdown of voter opinion by age brackets in Iowa, as elsewhere, shows younger Iowans overwhelmingly supporting same sex unions; 60% of those in the 18-30 age bracket supported gay marriage in an April 2009 poll.
Support for same sex unions does not guarantee state Supreme Court decisions or legislative action. New York voters have registered consistent support for same sex unions in polling dating back to 2005. However, New York state government did not grant marriage licenses to same sex couples until July 2011. Similarly, there is robust support in most states for either same sex marriage or civil unions, but due to past initiatives, legislation, and/or constitutional amendments, these states currently ban same sex unions. 30 states currently have constitutional amendments against same sex marriage. Some of those amendments, such as those in Virginia, Ohio, and Wisconsin ban both marriages and civil unions. However, several states are now considering reversing bans that have recently been enacted. Even some conservative politicians, such as Jon Huntsman
Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr. is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah. He also served in the administrations of four United States presidents and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.Huntsman worked as a White House staff assistant for...
, former governor of Utah, have begun to come out in favor of some form of same sex union.
Public opinion on same sex marriage and unions in the United States thus reveals a great deal of change in a short period of time and significant regional disparity. While New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, the Pacific Coast and northern Middle Atlantic states may support full-fledged marriage, comparisons of polling from a decade past to today reveals significant growth in support for same sex marriages and civil unions in those regions. Meanwhile polling from other regions show that while support for same sex marriages or civil unions have increased across the country, the growth of support is not uniform, with a significantly lower level of support occurring in the Deep South
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
compared to the rest of the country. Given the wide diversity of opinions within the US, many supporters of same sex unions believe that the most accurate way to discuss support for same sex unions in the United States is on a state-by-state or region-to-region basis.
See also
- LGBT rights in the United States
- Societal attitudes toward homosexuality