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Same-Sex Marriage Ban Gains Support in Florida
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in the Sunshine State are opposed to the concept of wedlock for homosexual partners, according to a poll by Strategic Vision. 59 per cent of respondents in Florida favour a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriages, up three points since June.
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. 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.
Over the past two years, 18 American states have enacted amendments to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman. The next gubernatorial election in Florida is scheduled for November 2006. Republican contenders Charlie Crist and Tom Gallagher support a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, while Democratic candidates Jim Davis, Rod Smith and Scott Maddox believe the measure is unnecessary.
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.
Polling Data
Would you favour a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriages?
Aug. 2005 | Jul. 2005 | Jun. 2005 | |
Yes | 61% | 59% | 58% |
No | 33% | 32% | 32% |
Undecided | 6% | 9% | 10% |
Source: Strategic Vision
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,200 registered Florida voters, conducted from Aug. 17 to Aug. 21, 2005. Margin of error is 3 per cent.