(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many Americans believe the concept of wedlock should not be applied to homosexual partners, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates for the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. 53 per cent of respondents oppose allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally.

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.

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. 53 per cent of respondents back the concept of civil unions.

Last November, voters in 11 American states enacted amendments to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman. 53 per cent of respondents believe changing the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage would be a bad idea.

Same-sex marriage is currently legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Canada.

Polling Data

Do you strongly favour, favour, oppose, or strongly oppose allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally?

Do you strongly favour, favour, oppose, or strongly oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into legal agreements with each other that would give them many of the same rights as married couples?

There has been a proposal to change the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage. Do you think amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage is a good idea, or a bad idea?

Archive Search

Over 19,600 Polls
Search the Angus Reid Global Monitor Polls & Research archive.