(08/31/11) -

Support for Same-Sex Marriage Increases Considerably in U.S.

Generations Y and X lead the way in calling for changes, but older Americans are not as convinced.

The proportion of Americans who express support for same-sex marriage has increased dramatically in the country over the past year, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,007 American adults, 46 per cent of respondents believe same-sex couples in the United States should be allowed to legally marry, up 10 points since last year.

About one-in-five respondents (22%) think same-sex couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not marry, while 23 per cent of Americans believe there should be no legal recognition for same-sex couples.

Respondents from Generation Y (68%), Generation X (48%), and Americans who report having gay or lesbian friends or relatives (59%) are more likely to support same-sex marriage than members of other groups.

If a referendum on the definition of marriage took place tomorrow in their state, 47 per cent of respondents would vote to define marriage as between a man and a woman, while 45 per cent would define marriage as between two people. One year ago, there was an 18-point gap between these two options.

There is also some fluctuation in the question about homosexuality. Two-in-five respondents (40%, +3) believe people are born gay, while just over one third (36%, -8) think people choose to be gay.

Some churches have promoted conferences that pledge to convert gays and lesbians into heterosexuals through prayer. Only one-in-four Americans (25%) believe this is possible, while a sizeable majority (62%) deems this impossible. Three-in-ten respondents who have no gay or lesbian friends or relatives (30%)—as well as two-in-five Republicans (40%)—believe gays and lesbians can be converted into heterosexuals through prayer.

Analysis

Since the survey conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion on this same topic a year ago, support for same-sex marriage in the United States has clearly risen, and is now on the verge of reaching 50 per cent. In another sweeping change, there is now a split in the question about the definition of marriage, which last year was dominated by the group that would limit it as between a man and a woman.

The notion of praying for the purported conversion of gays and lesbians is rejected by a large majority of respondents, but appears to be more popular among Republicans and Americans who have no homosexual friends or relatives.

Overall, the views expressed in this survey are marked by generational lines. Respondents born before 1946 and Baby Boomers are definitely not as welcoming to same-sex marriage as the members of Generation X and Generation Y. In fact, only one-in-four respondents born after 1979 would define marriage as between a man and a woman.

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 20 to July 21, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,007 randomly selected American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. 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 the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.