Two-in-Five Britons Endorse Same-Sex Marriage
Younger respondents are more likely to call for new regulations in the country, while older Britons are not as welcoming.
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(08/03/11) -
Public support for a regulation that would allow same-sex couples in the United Kingdom to wed is strongest among younger Britons and those who have gay or lesbian acquaintances, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample of 2,004 British adults, 43 per cent of respondents believe same-sex couples in the UK should be allowed to legally marry. One third of respondents (34%) think same-sex couples should be allowed to form civil partnerships, but not marry, while 15 per cent of Britons would grant no legal recognition to same-sex couples.
There is a marked generational gap, with respondents born from 1980 to 1995 (57%) and those born from 1965 to 1979 (48%) voicing support for same-sex marriage, compared with 40 per cent of those born from 1946 to 1964 and just 20 per cent of those born before 1946.
In the event a referendum on this matter takes place in the UK—as has been the case in several U.S. states—respondents are evenly split, with 46 per cent of Britons wishing to define marriage as between a man and a woman, and 45 per cent preferring to call it as between two people. Respondents who have gay or lesbian friends and relatives are clearly at odds on this question.
There is little change in the question about homosexuality. A majority of Britons (55%) believe people are born gay, while only one-in-four (25%) think people choose to be homosexual.
Respondents were also asked about an incident that took place in a London pub in April, where Jonathan Williams and James Bull were thrown out for kissing. Almost half of respondents (48%) disagree with the pub’s decision to expel the gay couple, while 41 per cent agree with it.
Analysis
Since the survey conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion on this same topic a year ago, there is little movement on the policy questions. Most respondents are choosing same-sex marriage over civil partnerships, and the same proportion of Britons remains unhappy with any legal recognition to same-sex couples. There is an even split on the referendum question, with a high level of support for a redefinition of marriage coming from respondents who have gay or lesbian friends or relatives.
As was the case last year, the debate over the future of same-sex marriage in Britain is marked by age. Respondents from the two youngest generations are more likely to voice support for new guidelines, while older Britons see no need for change.
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Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)
CONTACT:
Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
Methodology: From July 14 to July 18, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,004 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
