November 23, 2006

Abstract: - Many adults in the United States believe gay and lesbian partners should not be allowed to enter wedlock, according to a poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. 63 per cent of respondents would oppose a law that would permit same-sex couples to get married, while 34 per cent would support it.

- Many adults in the United States believe gay and lesbian partners should not be allowed to enter wedlock, according to a poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. 63 per cent of respondents would oppose a law that would permit same-sex couples to get married, while 34 per cent would support it.

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 union and domestic partnership laws in Vermont, Connecticut and California grant same-sex couples all state-level rights and obligations of marriage—in areas such as inheritance, income tax, insurance and hospital visitation. There are more than 1,000 federal-level rights of marriage that cannot be granted by states. 52 per cent of respondents oppose the concept of civil unions.

On Jun. 7, a proposal to enact a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage failed in the Senate after a 49-48 vote. On Jul. 18, a House of Representatives effort to constitutionally prohibit any form of marriage other than one "between a man and a woman" fell 46 votes short of the 289 required to pass. 53 per cent of respondents are against enacting a federal amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

On Nov. 7, eight states—Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin—voted on ballot initiatives proposing a ban on same-sex marriages. The motions were approved in every state except Arizona. Voters in Colorado also refused a proposal to establish domestic partnerships, which would have allowed same-sex couples to enjoy similar legal rights and responsibilities as married couples without challenging the concept of marriage itself.

Polling Data

Would you support or oppose a law that would allow same-sex couples to get married?

	Nov. 2006	Dec. 2004
Support	34%	31%
Oppose	63%	65%
Not sure	4%	4%

Would you support or oppose a law that would allow same-sex couples to form civil unions, giving them many of the legal rights of married couples?

	Nov. 2006	Dec. 2004
Support	45%	45%
Oppose	52%	51%
Not sure	4%	4%

Would you support or oppose amending the United States Constitution to ban same-sex marriage?

	Nov. 2006	Dec. 2004
Support	43%	43%
Oppose	53%	53%
Not sure	4%	4%

Source: Quinnipiac University Polling Institute
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,623 registered American voters, conducted from Nov. 13 to Nov. 19, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.