57% Of Americans Favor Gay Couple Rights

(New York City) A new national poll shows that the majority of Americans believe same-sex couples deserve legal recognition, but they remain divided on what form that recognition should take.

The CBS News poll shows that 57 percent of Americans support legal status for gay and lesbian couples. Twenty-eight percent said same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, up slightly from a similar poll taken in March. Twenty-nine percent said gay couples should be entitled to civil unions.

Forty percent of those polled said that gay couples should not be permitted to wed.

On the issue of permanently banning gay marriage with a constitutional amendment, 60% favor such an amendment, while 37% oppose such it.

While a majority of Republicans and Democrats both support a Constitutional amendment, Independents are divided, the CBS poll found.

Groups most likely to support same-sex marriage include those under age 30, those living in the Northeast, and college graduates, CBS News reported Monday.

Democrats and Independents are more likely than Republicans to favor same-sex marriages. Men and women have similar views on the legal recognition of same-sex couples.

The poll also asked about the role same-sex marriage would play in the November election.

Fifty-sex percent of likely say they could vote for someone who disagrees with their position on same-sex marriage, while 35% say they could not vote for such a candidate. In March, voters were more evenly split. Then, 45% said they could vote for someone who disagreed with them on same-sex marriage, but 44% said they could not support a candidate who held a different position.

Most voters said there were more pressing issues facing the nation than same-sex marriage.

Seventy percent of voters said the issue should have no part in the campaign. 20% say same-sex marriage should have a minor role in the campaign, and only 9% think it should have a major role.

http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/06/060104wedPoll.htm

Looks like Bush might end up out of office afterall if these poll results have anything to do with it ;)

Regards,

Lee