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April 27, 2009 6:30 PM

Poll: Support For Same Sex Marriage Grows

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(CBS)
Forty-two percent of Americans now say same sex couples should be allowed to legally marry, a new CBS News/New York Times poll finds. That's up nine points from last month, when 33 percent supported legalizing same sex marriage.

Support for same sex marriage is now at its highest point since CBS News starting asking about it in 2004.

Twenty-eight percent say same sex couples should have no legal recognition – down from 35 percent in March – while 25 percent support civil unions, but not marriage, for gay couples.

As has historically been the case on this issue, liberals are more likely to support same sex marriage. Sixty-nine percent support the idea, while conservatives generally favor either civil unions (28 percent) or no legal recognition (44 percent).

Tonight's CBS News/New York Times Polls:
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Support For Same Sex Marriage Grows
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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 973 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone April 22-26, 2009. Phone numbers were dialed from RDD samples of both standard land-lines and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

An oversample of African Americans were interviewed for a total of 212 interviews with African Americans. The results then weighted in proportion to the racial composition of the adult population in the U.S. Census. The margin of error for the sample of African Americans is 7 points.

This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
Tags:
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Topics:
Polling

Add a Comment See all 433 Comments
by sweetman2000 January 21, 2010 8:19 PM EST
It sadden me to think that some sick person continues to equate civil rights; black people, water fountains with sick people, people without moral, being a black man in America, it is insulting for anyone of you to mention sick gay marriages with being black and civil rights. Do your home work before you walk in our lane. We cannot change the color of our skins, being Gay is a choice made by the individual, I would love to see the emperical data that supports the notion that somehow you were born that way, i have heard all the suggestions, brains, etc.
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by rationalthinker19 April 9, 2010 2:06 AM EDT
Hey, I have opposing opinion about a claim you made, being gay may not be a choice, heres my reasoning.
To assume someone choses to BE GAY, then you must recognize that everyone else is choosing not to BE GAY. Maybe i'm just an optimist but Id like to think that i'm straight because I was born a heterosexual and homosexuals were born just born gay, it just makes more since to me.
by HahgayMarriage October 30, 2009 2:56 PM EDT
And the next news media poll will be people who declare that they have the constitutional rights to marry their family dog, cat, hamster, ferret, pig, horse, cow, or whatever sick, twisted minds think about.

Equal rights my ass... LOL.
Reply to this comment
by chrisnyc123 October 17, 2009 9:53 PM EDT
"Special rights for their perversion" Really? To me what breeders do in bed is disgusting and perverted. Yet, I am forced to accept their filthy life style which includes over 1,100 special rights and privileges that are systematically denied to me. If you don't like gay marriage, don't marry someone of the same gender. As long as I'm paying taxes in this unequal society, I will demand equal rights for everyone. With Liberty and Justice for ALL, not just breeders. Your hate is disgusting, shame on you!
Reply to this comment
by chrisnyc123 October 17, 2009 9:46 PM EDT
Gay marriage DOES NOT EFFECT the marriage of anyone else. It is merely a scare/hate tactic by the religious reich.
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by Avirex18 May 8, 2010 2:00 PM EDT
Wow, religous reich, lets call Jesus a Nazi, I could very well say The Liberal Empire has complete control of the media and what we view... Its just words that are not used in the right context, dont believe this person,its just a bunch of over statements, not facts. Also it does effect other marriages, do parents want to go to school and find out that there is a gay kid trying get with one of there kids at a young age, because the Gay parents says its alright. Also, you wouldnt be here if you had gay parents. If they adopt, the child wont grow up with the right parents, you had a mom to care and teach you feelings, you had a dad to teach responsiblty, and strength, kids that just grow up with one out of the 2, have a harder child hood life. Being gay is a Social Disorder, which needs Phycatric* help, im gonna push for that in the future, so dont be suprised when people start agreeing with that, because if you ever noticed how pereveted some was has to be to like the same sex. Ask pro Gay people that our straight, why dont they like the same sex????? Its not nature, it wouldnt work! There pereveted, most gays our emos, drugies, sick people with severe issues, that need help. Not all, but a small portion of them are also child molestors, just saying. Its a Social Disorder, ask yourself WHY ARNT I ATRRACTED TO THE SEX?, BC NATURE WONT ALLOW IT.
by chrisnyc123 October 17, 2009 9:24 PM EDT
Good idea! We can also have a national vote to see if Black Americans should be slaves again, and if inter-racial couples should be banned. Oh, let's have a vote to see if women should loose the vote.

This is about civil rights plain and simple. We are only as free as our most discriminated citizens. If Gay people are discriminated against, then America is not the land of equality, let alone the land of the free and the brave.
Reply to this comment
by chrisnyc123 October 17, 2009 9:15 PM EDT
"I think it is digusting that men want to marry men and woman want to marry woman. What is this world coming to."

I think it is disgusting that men want to marry women and women want to marry men. What is the world coming to!


"God did not intend for this.,"

There is no such thing as "god," so keep your so called "beliefs" off my body. Religion is only for people willing to cede their agency, and money, and let the others do the thinking for them. It is nothing more than an ecclesiastic corporation. So sad.

"people wonder why this world is so messed up. Look at yourself and there's the answer. It makes me SICK"

Indeed. When people tell other people what to do, how to live, who to live, because of their own myopia, ignorance, and insecurity the world becomes messed up.
Reply to this comment
by HahgayMarriage October 30, 2009 2:51 PM EDT
lmao, No thing as God? Well, there's no such thing as a real atheist if you took any religion class.

The reason to support gay marriage because of equality is ludicrous. Thank God that there are some people here aren't manipulated by the media and gay people into accepting gay marriage lifestyle. They have common sense and actually listen to their conscience. Gay is simply wrong. Look at science itself. Every species on this earth evolved and increased population by males having sex with females, not males with males or females with females. The only species that don't have a spouse to increase population are asexual, meaning that they divide themselves.
by shellyk0011 October 1, 2009 5:30 AM EDT
Well, I have read the whole article about same sex marriage. I am not impressed to read these kind of dramas which is called same sex marriage by you.
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by 1ofakindlady September 17, 2009 6:16 PM EDT
Years ago it was NOT popular opinion that Women should have the same rights as Men. It was the Government that made it law that Women and Men had equal rights to work and vote as well as many other rights. Now it is unheard of to think that a Woman shouldn't have the right to vote or work. I am a happily married mother of 3 sons. I also have friends that are in happy healthy same sex relationships. I am NOT prejudice and I would never want my sons to think that kind of attitude towards anyone is ok. We believe ALL PEOPLE should have the SAME Rights! That denying those rights is Wrong and Prejudice! Please, I beg of all of you, READ this entire site and consider it all the next time you pass on your opinions and judgements onto others... http://civilliberty.about.com/od/gendersexuality/a/marriageamend.htm
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by chrisnyc123 October 17, 2009 9:16 PM EDT
The poll is 972 times better than one opinion, especially a naive and misinformed one like that of miss america.
by chrisnyc123 October 17, 2009 9:16 PM EDT
The poll is 972 times better than one opinion, especially a naive and misinformed one like that of miss america. Oh, by the way, I AM REAL AMERICA!
by bikerskier September 3, 2009 5:37 PM EDT
A couple of things. The fine print in the poll shows that it is based on only 973 adults nationwide. Look again... 973 nationwide! Anybody that knows anything about statistics would tell you that 973 adults no more represent the nation's opinion than Miss America is an accurate representation of the entire female population! 973 is statistically INSIGNIFICANT for representing support or non-support for Same Sex marriage or anything else. Another thing, it's a CBS/New York Times poll. This very article states that "liberals are more likely to support same sex marriage." It's common knowledge that the media is liberally controlled. You do the math... this Poll is hogwash.

Go talk to "real" America. You'll get a different answer.
Reply to this comment
by HahgayMarriage October 30, 2009 2:52 PM EDT
I agree.
by MarlinWinslow June 24, 2009 10:24 AM EDT
There is not anything in the US Constitution that infers that individuals of the same gender have a right to marry each other. In point of fact marriage is not a federal issue. Marriage licences are issued by the individual states as well as the authority to perform marriages. Same gender unions to not constitute a real marriage but at beast are a form of domestic partnership. More people should take the time to read the Constitution. It is not very long and not as complicated as some would have us beleive. On the practical side, same gender relations fail to insure the survival of the species.
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by chheeeheee April 13, 2010 2:47 PM EDT
yeah true about the first sentence in your comment. but there is something in the bible saying that there should only be a marriage between a man and a women and thats why most people dont support this.
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