June 16, 2006

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Scan) - Adults in the United States remain divided over the issue of same-sex marriage, according to a poll by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News. 27 per cent of respondents think gays and lesbians should be allowed to get married, up two points since May 2004.

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Adults in the United States remain divided over the issue of same-sex marriage, according to a poll by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News. 27 per cent of respondents think gays and lesbians should be allowed to get married, up two points since May 2004.

In addition, 25 per cent of respondents would allow homosexual couples to enter into a legal partnership that should not be called marriage, and 39 per cent would offer no legal recognition to gay and lesbian relationships.

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.

On Jun. 7, a proposal to enact a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage failed in the Senate after a 49-48 vote. 48 per cent of respondents believe the issue should be decided at the state level, while 38 per cent think it should be dealt with federally.

Republican Ohio congressman John Boehner said the House of Representatives would discuss the topic next month, saying, "This is a big issue for lots of our members and frankly for lots of Americans." Democratic Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy declared, "A vote for this amendment is a vote for bigotry, pure and simple."

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

Polling Data

Do you believe gays and lesbians should be:

	Jun. 2006	May 2004
Allowed to get legally married	27%	25%
Allowed a legal partnership similar to but not called marriage	25%	26%
There should be no legal recognition given to gay and lesbian relationships	39%	40%
Don't know	8%	9%

Do you think the issue of whether gays and lesbians can legally marry should be decided at the state or federal level?

State	48%
Federal	38%
Don't know	13%

Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 registered American voters, conducted on Jun. 13 and Jun. 14, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.