Explore rpons om the 14% of all Amerins who say they have changed their mds on the issue favor of gay marriage.
Contents:
- GROWG SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE: CHANGED MDS AND CHANGG DEMOGRAPHICS
- CHANGG MDS: BEHD THE RISE SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE
- GROWG SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE: CHANGED MDS AND CHANGG DEMOGRAPHICS
- SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE REACH ALL-TIME HIGH, SURVEY FDS
GROWG SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE: CHANGED MDS AND CHANGG DEMOGRAPHICS
* growing support for gay marriage change minds and changing demographics *
A new natnal survey fds that much of the shift is attributable to the arrival of a large hort of young adults – the Millennial generatn – who are far more open to gay rights than prev generatns. Equally important, however, is that 14% of all Amerins – and 28% of gay marriage supporters – say they have changed their mds on this issue favor of gay marriage. Pollg nducted 2003 found most Amerins (58%) opposed to allowg gays and lbians to marry legally, and jt a third (33%) favor.
Roughly a third (32%) say is bee they know someone – a iend, fay member or other acquatance – who is homosexual. About one--five (18%) say they changed their mds to support gay marriage bee the world has changed and that this kd of shift is evable.
Opns about homosexualy and the possible impact same-sex marriage also have shifted substantially over the past . In 2003, as the bate over same-sex marriage tensified and Massachetts beme the first state to allow same-sex marriage, a 56% majory of Amerins felt that allowg gays and lbians to marry would unrme the tradnal Amerin fay, while 39% disagreed. Other trends have shown siar movement sce 2003: The percentage sayg same-sex upl n be as good parents as heterosexual upl has risen 10 pots (to 64%) and there has been a parable crease the percentage sayg that general homosexualy should be accepted, rather than disuraged, by society.
CHANGG MDS: BEHD THE RISE SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE
Even among those who oppose allowg gays and lbians to marry legally, a third (33%) say that same-sex upl should have the same legal rights as other upl. More Say Homosexualy Should Be Accepted. The growg acceptance of same-sex marriage is occurrg as broar attus about homosexualy are changg.
Ten years ago, the public was evenly divid about whether homosexualy should be accepted (47%) or disuraged (45%) by society. The partisan and mographic differenc opns about societal acceptance of homosexualy are mirrored attus related to same-sex marriage, cludg whether would nflict wh people’s relig beliefs and unrme the tradnal fay.
GROWG SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE: CHANGED MDS AND CHANGG DEMOGRAPHICS
Generatnal differenc about homosexualy largely mirror attus about same-sex marriage, wh about three-quarters of Millennials (75%) and 62% of Gen Xers now sayg homosexualy should be accepted. While about two-thirds of both Democrats (66%) and pennts (65%) now say homosexualy should be accepted, reflectg signifint shifts towards greater acceptance among the groups, Republin attus are largely unchanged om 2003 (38% of Republins say homosexualy should be accepted, 54% say should be disuraged).
While public acceptance of homosexualy has creased, a majory of Amerins (56%) agree that “same-sex marriage would go agast my relig beliefs. Notably, whe male Prottants are the only relig group that has changed substantially on this qutn: In 2003 a 58% majory said gay marriage would go agast their relig beliefs; jt 44% say this today. And the growth support for same-sex marriage among male Prottants over this time is also substantial: Today 55% favor allowg gays and lbians to marry, up om 36% 10 years ago.
SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE REACH ALL-TIME HIGH, SURVEY FDS
Shiftg attus about homosexualy are also evint public opn about same-sex marriage and the tradnal Amerin fay. In 2003, a 56% majory of Amerins agreed wh the statement: “allowg gays and lbians to legally marry would unrme the tradnal Amerin fay;” today 46% say this.
Democratic and pennt support for gay marriage has steadily creased over the last , while there has not been a mensurate shift GOP opn. As wh other attus about LGBT (Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgenr) people, younger generatns rema substantially more acceptg—and have grown more so over time. Genr gaps persist on this and other qutns about homosexualy, cludg attus about same-sex marriage.
Although majori across all tnal groups say gay and lbian upl should be entled to the same rights, support for this posn creas wh tn: 76% of llege graduat agree wh the statement, pared wh 69% of those wh some llege experience and 58% of those who have not attend llege. Among those who oppose same-sex marriage, a third (33%) favor gay upl havg the same legal rights as heterosexual upl while 63% are opposed. The Pew Rearch Center qutn asks: “Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose allowg gays and lbians to marry legally?