Growg Support for Gay Marriage: Changed Mds and Changg Demographics | Pew Rearch Center

Contents:

• GROWG SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE: CHANGED MDS AND CHANGG DEMOGRAPHICS
• THE MOST DETAILED MAP OF GAY MARRIAGE AMERI
• STATISTICS ON GAY MARRIAGE

GROWG SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE: CHANGED MDS AND CHANGG DEMOGRAPHICS

For stance, 45% of adults the Silent Generatn (those born between 1928 and 1945) favor allowg gays and lbians to wed, pared wh 74% of Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996). 4As wh the general public, Amerins who intify as lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr (LGBT) are most likely to ce love as a very important reason for gettg married.

Sce then, several other European untri – cludg England and Wal, France, Ireland, all of Sndavia, Spa and, most recently, Atria, Germany and Malta – have legalized gay marriage. 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.

THE MOST DETAILED MAP OF GAY MARRIAGE AMERI

Pollg nducted 2003 found most Amerins (58%) opposed to allowg gays and lbians to marry legally, and jt a third (33%) favor. 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.

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. 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.

STATISTICS ON GAY MARRIAGE

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.

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.

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.