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Americans Consider Options for Same-Sex Unions
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in the United States are opposed to same-sex marriage, according to a poll by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center published in the Boston Globe. 50 per cent of respondents disapprove of the proposal.
During the January 2004 State of the Union address, U.S. 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."
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. 46 per cent of respondents support this concept, while 41 per cent are opposed.
In 2004, marriage certificates were issued to same-sex couples by local governments in the states of California, Oregon, New Mexico and New York. Last May, the state of Massachusetts allowed gay and lesbian partners to apply for marriage licenses, the first state-sanctioned homosexual weddings in the U.S.
Last November, voters in 11 American states enacted amendments to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman.
Polling Data
Do you approve or disapprove of gay and lesbian marriages?
Approve | 37% |
Disapprove | 50% |
Neutral | 11% |
What about civil unions that would between gay and lesbian couples that would give them some, but not all of the legal rights of married couples. Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions, but not legally marry in your state?
Yes | 46% |
No | 41% |
Neutral | 7% |
Source: University of New Hampshire Survey Center / Boston Globe
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 760 American adults, conducted from May 4 to May 9, 2005. Margin of error is 3.6 per cent.
