POLL TRENDS: Maggie comments
Just like the New York Times last Sunday the Washington Post reporter appears to see this opposition as primarily a matter of religion: "Americans are saying, 'We're willing to move pretty far on this issue, we're much more tolerant than we used to be, but don't mix it up with religion and God,' " said Boston College political scientist Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life. Emphasize the civil, legal nature of marriage, and the opposition would diminish.
However it seems to me that the key variable here is the move from tolerance to affirmation of gay sexual unions as a positive good. The argument for tolerance is winning, fortunately, but the majority of Americans are not now willing to say gay relationships are positive social goods, like marriage.
Not only is opposition to gay marriage rising, but the Washington Post is a second poll that shows opposition to civil unions or other quasi-marital institutions is also rising:
The poll also found, however, that public acceptance of same-sex civil unions is falling. Fewer than four in 10 -- 37 percent -- of all Americans say they would support a law allowing gay men and lesbians to form civil unions that would provide some of the rights and legal protections of marriage.
Even the HRC poll found only 33 percent of Americans actively support civil unions, while an additional 17 percent would accept them.
posted by maggie at
11:06 AM | Link |
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