Poll: 51 percent support same-sex marriage

Following an election that saw voters in three states - Maine, Maryland, and Washington - approve measures to legalize same-sex marriage, a new CBS News Poll finds 51 percent of Americans nationwide think same-sex marriage should be legal, while four in 10 do not.

With the addition of these three states, same-sex marriage will become legal in nine states plus the District of Columbia. Also, Minnesota voters rejected an amendment to their state's constitution that would have defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. As the debate over same-sex marriage continues at the ballot box and in state legislatures, the Supreme Court today considered whether to weigh in on the issue. The court could announce as early as Monday whether it will review court challenges to the federal Defense of Marriage Act or the ruling against California's same-sex marriage ban.

The American public's views on allowing same-sex couples to marry are the same as they were in September, but support for same-sex marriage has risen since the spring and summer of this year.

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There is a generational divide on this issue. Young Americans (those ages 18-29) are some of the strongest proponents of allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. Seventy-two percent of them support it, as do a majority --albeit a smaller one-- of Americans ages 30-44. However, support for same-sex marriage drops to 44 percent among those who are age 45-64 and even further to just a third of Americans age 65 and over. In fact, 56 percent of seniors oppose permitting same-sex couples to marry.

The CBS News Poll also finds more women (53 percent) than men (48 percent) think same-sex marriage should be legal. Women voters were instrumental in getting the ballot measures legalizing same-sex marriage passed. According to exit polls conducted in each of the three states, majorities of women approved of the same-sex marriage initiatives, while men opposed them.

Nationwide, opinions on same-sex marriage also differ by marital status. Married Americans are divided in their views, while 57 percent of unmarried Americans support allowing same-sex couples to marry.

As might be expected, there are differences by political party. Most Democrats think it should be legal for same-sex marriage couples to marry, while most Republicans do not. Fifty-five percent of independents support marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

Prior to this past summer, the CBS News Poll had asked a different three-part question to measure attitudes on same-sex relationships which included a "civil unions" category. This question was last asked in May 2012 and that survey found most Americans supported some type of legal recognition for same-sex couples (38 percent through marriage and 24 percent through civil unions). Over the years that this question was asked, the percentage supporting marriage increased from just 22 percent in 2004 reaching a high of 42 percent in April 2009.

For full poll results, see next page

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This poll was conducted by telephone from November 16-19, 2012 among 1,100 adults nationwide. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The margin of error for the sample of registered voters could be plus or minus three points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

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[xgaygreg]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! My bride and I are celebrating my SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY! SEVEN YEARS ago Jesus set me FREE from the sin of homosexuality, HALLELUJAH!!! Today my wife is also pregnant and we are so thankful to Jesus for this wonderful miracle. JESUS IS LORD!!! I used to be addicted to men, but 7 years ago Jesus set me FREE! (YouTube video)

[forzenrose]

God is surely blessing you! Merry Christmas.

[olican102]

Peoples sexuality can change, you find men happily married with kids turn gay for no reason... its not instant but over time they like their wife less and men more... OR they could have always been bi and just not realised it... the fact that when someone goes gay>straight its because of Jesus? no its because your hormone levels changed or you realised you are bi and just chose to go with women... i used to be bi and am now gay... girls got less and less attractive to me... that doesn't mean it was Jesus! i am happy for you, your wife and your son/daughter but it is not down to Jesus how your hormone levels work and homosexuality isn't a "sin" any more than its ok to stone your wife if she gets raped! both those things are in the old testament and Jesus DIED for the new testament! i am not christian but i realise some people are, i would just be grateful if you wouldn't try and bring your religion into sexuality.

[gunndee3]

Emigration has become an excellent choice for many Americans who cannot accept/endorse same-sex couple and marriage normalcy and equivalency to opposite-sex coupling and marriage. The America that traditionalists grew up in that closeted gays and never saw gay marriage on the radar simply does not exist anymore. Instead, full inclusion of LGBT expression is the new normal in America that is being written into all of our nation's laws, taught in all of our public educational systems, and even affirmed in many of our U.S. religious institutions. If you don't like that as a traditionalist, and many don't, just emigrate to a nation where your traditional values are still the only normal and likely to remain so until you die. Fortunately, with wire transfer technology, you can collect your U.S. corporate or government pension and benefits living anywhere in the world that can process them. Be selfish, traditionalists.

[gailmd]

You must have polled mostly gays - most americans are in favor of a civil union NOT MARRIAGE

[madasabull]

American Mark Matthews who was married to a pony called Pixel

Britian Sharon Tendler married a male dolphin in Israel

Selva Kumar and Selvi (2007)


New Dehli Selva Kumar had suffered ill health since he killed two dogs years earlier. In order to break the curse an astrologer instructed him to marry a dog


German Uwe Mitzscherlich married his cat

Bali Ngurah Alit was required to marry a cow (I think a lot of us have done that)

So what I am getting at is, who cares, really, is it that important, it can be funny and a bit weird like above, and even sick like two men getting down to it, but marry who and what you want, just don't trouble ME with it.

[cydygitt2]

SLOWNEWS replies: "It's mostly in the Abrahamic religions, although many other religions do say that those who don't believe will go to hell (or its equivalent). There's more chance of controlling the masses if they feel they will be doomed by lack of belief."

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Interesting to know how truly hypocritical the religious right is on this topic (as well as so many others), since IMHO, religion is for control, and this part of the control just makes them more of a hypocrite for wanting to kill non-believers of their own particular Abrahamic religion.

So this in not the case in other monotheistic faiths such as Hinduism, Ravidassia, and Sikhism?

[cydygitt2]

Oh, I thought that monotheistic faiths pertained to believing in only one god, independent of other things like the trinity.

[PRIESTS_SURE_LIKE_KIDDIES]

Elton John was probably right when he said that Jesus was gay.

Especially considering he hung out in the desert for months at a time with 12 other guys.

.

[PRIESTS_SURE_LIKE_KIDDIES]

If Jesus wasn't gay, he would have brought some women along.

[PRIESTS_SURE_LIKE_KIDDIES]

Odd that DGI doesn't care about the 9th Commandment.

Oh, well, he's going to Hell anyway.

[GlaucoOrtolano]

This is your modern day prophet speaking here so don't listen to me. What I see here is a dispute between believers and non-believers. Non-believers will take a more secular approach and show a good heart by pleading for the acceptance of a non-traditional type of union between two human beings. After all, who in the right mind could argue against two people who love each other of getting married?

On the other hand, believers hold a different concept of marriage and accept the implications of "sinful relationships", (not approved by the Creator). These people are also looking for the best interest of the "sinners" by trying to bring them to the right path. They are also trying to save our society from being cursed and destroyed. And who in his right mind could argue against someone who is trying to save our nation from being cursed and destroyed?

So, there you go! It is only through empathy that we can achieve peace. And peace is what we need in this country. After all, if you are so sure you are in the winning team, why throw rocks at the adversaries? Make your point and sit back. If believers are right, then the sodomites will be thrown in a lake of brimstone, and the Earth will be cleansed anyway. If they are wrong, people will just continue to celebrate life and unions according to the dictates of their own conscience.

Take a pick and root for your team!

Thus spake Glaukatrusta

[forzenrose]

Then what about all of those poor people who are suffering in prison? They did something that made them "feel good" and then were thrown in prison for it. Don't they deserve some "empathy"? All perversion is wrong and immoral no matter what excuse or reason you give it. If this is not true then you had better empty out all of the prisons. At least we would save a lot of money.

[PRIESTS_SURE_LIKE_KIDDIES]

ping!

[PRIESTS_SURE_LIKE_KIDDIES]

I'd never be a filthy Catholic if my life depended on it.

[PRIESTS_SURE_LIKE_KIDDIES]

I said just below that I am slownews.

And since I'm not a priest, my screen name doesn't apply to me.

QED.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Democrat-Gone-Indepenent replies: You mean righteous judgment against sexually immoral...
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Your bigotry is what's immoral here.

[PRIESTS_SURE_LIKE_KIDDIES]

Howdy, Sarge! I had to switch names just to help Dan understand that his Church has some serious morality problems.

Whaddya think? ;)

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Funny.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Democrat-Gone-Indepenent replies: That's what all sexual deviants claim. Pedophiles are using your same exact words and lies.
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Recognizing that some feel justified in espousing discrimination against others has nothing to do with any sexual perversion. You call any and all here who do not agree with you "pervert".
You're a bigot with a perversion problem yourself.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Well slow, any fool who presumes to be passing "righteous judgement" on others is a moron of the first degree.....

[PRIESTS_SURE_LIKE_KIDDIES]

Especially when the Sermon on the Mount specifically says to leave judgment to God.

Apparently, DGI is a blasphemer, and likes to speak for God...

"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."
--Susan B. Anthony