(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in the United States would not grant official recognition to gay and lesbian partnerships, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 66 per cent of respondents favour the traditional definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

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."

Last year, 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.

Same-sex marriage is currently legal in the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain. On Jun. 28, Canada's House of Commons passed a bill that legalizes same-sex marriage in the entire country after a 158-133 vote. Most Liberal, Bloc Québécois and New Democratic Party (NDP) members supported the legislation. The bill now heads to the Senate, where 64 of the 96 appointed members are Liberals.

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 favour or oppose the traditional definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman?

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