January 15, 2006

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in the Evergreen State reject changing the definition of marriage, according to a poll by SurveyUSA. 62 per cent of respondents in Washington believe marriage is a union between one man and one woman, while 34 per cent think it is a union between two adults, regardless of gender.

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in the Evergreen State reject changing the definition of marriage, according to a poll by SurveyUSA. 62 per cent of respondents in Washington believe marriage is a union between one man and one woman, while 34 per cent think it is a union between two adults, regardless of gender.

During the January 2004 State of the Union address, United States president George W. Bush said, "Activist judges (...) have begun redefining marriage by court order, without regard for the will of the people and their elected representatives."

In 2004, marriage certificates were issued to same-sex couples by local governments in the states of California, Oregon, New Mexico and New York. In May 2004, the state of Massachusetts allowed gay and lesbian partners to apply for marriage licenses, the first state-sanctioned homosexual weddings in the U.S.

Civil unions—currently available in the states of Vermont and Connecticut—give same-sex partners the same legal rights of married couples such as inheritance, insurance and hospital visiting privileges. A California law grants domestic partners the same legal rights of married couples, with the exception of filing joint income tax returns.

Over the past two years, 19 American states have enacted amendments to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman. Four more will hold votes on the matter this year.

The Supreme Court of Washington is expected to rule on the constitutionality of a same-sex marriage ban. In August 2004, King County Superior Court judge William Downing said that the state's Constitution guarantees basic rights to homosexual persons, which would be violated is they are forbidden from marrying.

Polling Data

Do you think marriage should be defined as a union between one man and one woman? Or do you think it should be between two adults, regardless of gender?

Union between one man and one woman	62%
Union between two adults, regardless of gender	34%
Not sure	4%

Source: SurveyUSA / KING-TV
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 500 Washington adults, conducted on Jan. 10, 2006. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.