New survey Shows Rising Support For Civil Unions

NEW YORK — An increasing majority of Americans favors allowing same-sex couples to obtain most of the same rights as married straight couples, but only 39 percent support legalization of same-sex marriage, according to a poll released Friday.

The Pew Research Center said support for civil unions has risen to 57 percent, up from 54 percent a year ago and 45 percent when the question was first asked by Pew in 2003.

Views on legalizing same-sex marriage remained almost unchanged from last year, with 53 percent opposed and 39 percent in favor, the center said.

Supporters of same-sex marriage were divided over the best way to pursue legalization, according to the survey. Forty-five percent of them favored pushing hard to legalize it as soon as possible, while 42 percent said pushing too hard for swift legalization might trigger a backlash against gays and lesbians.

There was more support for same-sex marriage among women, adults under 30 and college-educated people than there was among men, older adults and those who did not attend college.

Asked about homosexual behavior, 49 percent said it is morally wrong, 9 percent said it is morally acceptable and 35 percent said it is not a moral issue.

The telephone survey of 4,013 adults was conducted in August. The margin of error for the full sample was 2 percentage points.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont, and will start in New Hampshire in January. A referendum in Maine on Nov. 3 will determine the fate of a same-sex marriage bill passed by the Legislature in May, and the city council in Washington, D.C., is expected to approve same-sex marriage soon.

Several other states offer civil unions, domestic partnerships or other arrangements that provide varying degrees of marriage-like rights to same-sex couples, including California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado and Wisconsin.

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On the Net:

Pew survey: http://people-press.org/report/553/same-sex-marriage

Comments

[NevadaLib]

civil unions just endorse a "separate but equal" doctrine. What ever happened to the separation of church and state? I want marriage to be defined as between two people, or it's just propagating xenophobia.

[carsntrucks]

Exactly why should you be treated equally, again? Why should any of us care?

[Liberal Angel]

Idiot.

[JBS]

"varying degrees of marriage-like rights to same-sex couples" - sez it all.

I would favor completely abolishing state sanctioned "marriage". Make it ALL civil contracts.

Marriage is a RELIGIOUS institution. The first amendment says "no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof".

See also:

Amendment XIV - "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

Doesn't say black, white, male, female, christian, jew, muslim, straight, gay, natural born, illegal alien, visitor from abroad or even visitor from another planet.

It says "nor deny to ANY PERSON within its jurisdiction the EQUAL PROTECTION of the laws". Any state law that grants special privileges to one group or individual and denies those same privileges to any other group or individual is ipso facto unconstitutional.

AND - U.S. Constitution

Article 4, Section 1 - Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

Article 4, Section 2 - The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.

[jbarelli]

Thank you for saying this so clearly.

A surprisingly large number of religious people, myself included, have said that marriage is a religious institution, and that government has no business defining it, sanctioning it or basing benefits on it. That what government should do is have a defined social contract that it recognizes (civil union, domestic partnership, whatever).

Of course, if it is simply a defined social contract, then the sex of the parties involved has nothing to do with it.

Let the government regulate contract law. Let religious institutions decide religious questions.

[carsntrucks]

By comparison, it's funny that disapproval of gay marriage and approval of civil unions are about the same. Hmm. Will this cause the gay community to focus more on getting the civil unions for now and then working with the rest of society to evolve attitudes about marriage over the long-term until society finally does accept it?

Nah.

[Liberal Angel]

Why should we accept being second class citizens in our own damn country? We won't stand for anything less than FULL and TOTAL EQUALITY! It doesn't matter if bigots like you are "ready" to accept us.

[carsntrucks]

OK. Just be sure to leave the door open for the polygamists, pedophiles, zoophiles, and incestuous couples looking for FULL and TOTAL EQUALITY.

[azcamp]

Marching in the streets invites the media to inflame the debate by focusing on the outer edges of the issue just as they do when teabaggers or any other group presents opportunities for message distortion. With a 24/7 news hole to fill, we can expect news outlets to focus on the most outlandish while the intended message is killed in the editing.

[carsntrucks]

Absolutely right.

[eweqo]

As I said before. it's gays that oppose civil unions.

[carsntrucks]

YES! THANK YOU! FANNED!

[mercury613]

No, we oppose crumbs being thrown at us, and being told that we should be happy and appreciative of those crumbs in lieu of real equality.

[QuietNetworker]

Yes, so silly to opposed a return to Separate but Equal.
Perhaps you can convince people of colour they might
fair better by getting their own restrooms, doorways, and
water bubblers...

[KC333]

For me civil union means separate but equal. Well if it is separate, how can it be equal? In my personal opinion, we as a country have not learned from our past.

[eweqo]

I find this sentiment confusing. My wife and I have a civil union. Why shouldn't a secular union be good enough?

[carsntrucks]

You must have missed the part where separate but equal was effectively only separate. The entire notion of something being separate but equal is not illegal.

[Liberal Angel]

We all know separate is never equal. We'll win this, it just takes time for bigots to adjust to reality. Until then, we'll fight for our equality, and relegate them to the dust bin of history where they and their ignorance belong.

[drahim]

Man, you and those like you need, and those who agree with your cause need to put this foolishness aside and deal with reality. The reason you are so called gay, or there are so called lesbians, I don't think anyone truly has the answer. The basic idea in the creation of every living thing is the ability to reproduce itself. Now, in the case of you gays and lesbians, I can understand you wanting the same basic rights as any human being. However, when you begin to equate the marriage or union of two men to one another, or that of two women to one another as being equal to the marriage or union of a man and woman, you and anyone who thinks as you do, have moved into the realm of insanity, because the relationships are not equal. Now, lets be real. Are those who would destroy man kind, the same as those who would perpetuate man kind, equal? NO!!!
Lets assume every man on the planet became so called gay, God forbid, and every woman on the planet became lesbian, God forbid, and in so doing men married men and women married women. Do you and those who think like you realize that in 100 years, give or take, there would not be one human being left on the planet because two men cannot reproduce nor can two women reproduce. This is the basic reality of life.

[glockman]

A civil union is still not a marriage.

We need to recognize gay marriage. Anything less is criminal.

[GayMark]

Anything but everything is NOT equal. I won't settle for anything my brother doesn't have. A civil union is nothing more than "cute". They're homophobic and amount to nothing other than, "yes, you have a place on the bus -- it's just in the back".

[genevoise]

My husband and I got married in France 20 years ago (neither of us are French). The tradition there is that everyone must marry at the town hall in a civil ceremony, and then if you wish you can have a religious ceremony. Essentially you become legaly bound in a setting devoid of faith.

I believe that any couple should be allowed to form a legal union if they wish.

I think that religious institutions should not be able to issue mariage certificates. Yes they can perform weddings be it in a church, synagogue, or mosque. But it the legal part of marriage should be left to the state.

When people get divorced who do they turn to? Its not their religious leaders, but their lawyers and a state run divorce court.

[hearken]

Citizens and taxpayers should all have the same legal rights. A license taken out at city hall or town hall is what is required by law to bind people in a union...the religious ceremony is a matter of choice. Why are reichwingers so afraid of people who don't look or act like them? Are they so insecure or full of hatred. They need to take a deep long look....we are all different in one way or another and to think that you have the right to force your opinion on someone else then you should realize they have the same right to force their opinion on you.

[DragonMama]

My husband and I did the same thing in 1999. Our legal union (which we do refer to as our "civil union") was in Virginia in September with just the two of us and a justice of the peace. Our wedding invitations were already in the mail when we did that, and we celebrated our wedding/marriage with family and friends in October. We're between our two anniversaries right now and we celebrate both. I wish this was the way things were for all committed relationships, get the government out of our marriages - their only place is in the legal agreement we made, not the spiritual ones!

[weatherwaxx]

Marriage is between two people. A CIVIL CONTRACT should not depend on any religion's definition of "marriage."

I'm for abolishing the CIVIL "marriage" license, replacing it with a 'civil union' license for legal, non-religious purposes, and letting couples of all persuasions hold their own RELIGIOUS marriage ceremonies outside legal auspices.

Or.. not. Just like a courthouse wedding. A religious blessing is not required.

The government doesn't belong in religious ceremonies and religion SURELY does not belong in government.

[GayMark]

Beautifully stated.

[hearken]

AMEN TO THAT!

[ifitwereme]

this is plain and simple civil rights. anyone who can't see that is clouded by their religion or their politics neither of which should matter.

fight on

[MAH999]

I think there has been a big shift in just the last couple of years. The thing that I think pursuades most people who have been hesitant has to do more with end of life matters more than anything else. The idea that someone who has lived with and cared for someone for any significant time wouldn't be allowed to be in a hospital room with them if they were ill or dying ... that's just inhuman. There is a wonderful ad about that currently running in WA state that really makes it hit home. Ironically, I think Cheney's daughter might also have something to do a with a shift in some people. That stark contrast between his politics and his reality, I think makes the hypocracy of the anti-position very clear.

[weatherwaxx]

I have in-laws who are tighty-righties on most other issues, but they favor civil unions because some friends of theirs had a son who was pushed out of his partner's hospital room and didn't get to say goodbye. That's probably one of the strongest arguments for gay folk coming out to everyone as much as they possibly can. It's harder to demonize the kid who delivered your paper than it is to think horrible things about some 'homo' in a distant city.

[weatherwaxx]

I have in-laws who are tighty-righties on most other issues, but they favor civil unions because some friends of theirs had a son who was pushed out of his partner's hospital room and didn't get to say goodbye. That's probably one of the strongest arguments for gay folk coming out to everyone as much as they possibly can. It's harder to demonize the kid who delivered your paper than it is to think horrible things about some 'expletive' in a distant city.

[GayMark]

Lovely. But not enough. Nit by half. What is this? 1985?

[GayMark]

Cheney's daughter has sone NOTHING but reinforce the stereotype of self-loathing, not-to-be-trusted homosexuals. She's a butch Roy Cohn, working against her own people. There is NO respect for her anywhere.

And the shift you're witnessing is a bunch of people who know gay marriage us coming and are trying to NOW offer civil unions as a compromise. They're scared. They're scared of angry gays. They should be. Prop 8 was the best thing to happen to LGBTs. We are more motivated than we've been in years. And were headed their way.

No way. No how. No civil unions.

[DragonMama]

It does not offend me or my husband if you refer to our relationship as a civil union. We will refer to your relationship with whatever term you prefer. I really wish the government would get out of it. Please don't assume that married heterosexuals are your default adversaries. Many of us wish for your happiness and full rights too.

[Vargas]

Shoot! I thought the story was about LABOR unions. But Civil Unions Yes Yes Yes!!

Now what about Labor Unions?

[SiberianRat]

Heh, yes to both!

[ktomas]

Looks like we still have miles to go yet before we sleep.

[SiberianRat]

Yet miles have been covered too...