Support Growing For Constitutional Ban On Gay Marriage
Sun. December 21, 2003 12:00 AM by 365gay.com
New York City -
A new national poll shows that support among voters for an amendment to the US Constitution banning same-sex marriage is gaining broad support.
The New York Times/CBS News poll found that 55 percent of Americans favored an amendment to the Constitution while 40 percent opposed.
The national poll was taken between Dec. 10 and Dec. 13 and shows that even a majority of people traditionally viewed as supportive of gay rights, including Democrats, women and those who live on the East Coast oppose same-sex marriage.
The survey indicates conservative groups opposed to gay marriage are doing a better job than gay advocacy groups in getting their message out.
Attitudes on the subject seem to be inextricably linked to how people view marriage itself.
For a majority of Americans - 53 percent - marriage is largely a religious matter. Of that group, seventy-one percent oppose gay marriage.
In contrast, 33 percent of Americans told pollsters that marriage is largely a legal matter and a majority of those people - 55 percent - support gay marriage.
The most positive feelings toward gays came from those under 30, and who knew gays.
Last week, in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, President Bush said, "If necessary, I will support a constitutional amendment which would honor marriage between a man and a woman, codify that, and will." (365gay.com story) The interview prompted the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to call the president's statement "an act of war". (365gay.com story)
by Doug Windsor
365Gay.com Newscenter
New York Bureau
©365Gay.com® 2003
The New York Times/CBS News poll found that 55 percent of Americans favored an amendment to the Constitution while 40 percent opposed.
The national poll was taken between Dec. 10 and Dec. 13 and shows that even a majority of people traditionally viewed as supportive of gay rights, including Democrats, women and those who live on the East Coast oppose same-sex marriage.
The survey indicates conservative groups opposed to gay marriage are doing a better job than gay advocacy groups in getting their message out.
Attitudes on the subject seem to be inextricably linked to how people view marriage itself.
For a majority of Americans - 53 percent - marriage is largely a religious matter. Of that group, seventy-one percent oppose gay marriage.
In contrast, 33 percent of Americans told pollsters that marriage is largely a legal matter and a majority of those people - 55 percent - support gay marriage.
The most positive feelings toward gays came from those under 30, and who knew gays.
Last week, in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, President Bush said, "If necessary, I will support a constitutional amendment which would honor marriage between a man and a woman, codify that, and will." (365gay.com story) The interview prompted the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to call the president's statement "an act of war". (365gay.com story)
by Doug Windsor
365Gay.com Newscenter
New York Bureau
©365Gay.com® 2003
This article originally appeared on 365gay.com. Republished with permission.