Same-sex marriage in New Jersey

Results of public opinion polls

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2003 to 2007: Garden State Equality Polls:

Zogby International and Rutgers-Eagleton conducted a series of public opinion polls for Garden State Equality -- a gay-positive group promoting marriage equity. They attempted to determine support of, and opposition to, same-sex marriage (SSM) among adults in New Jersey. Results show a gradual lessening of opposition to SSM between 2003 and 2006:

Zogby polls:

The sudden increase in SSM support during 2007 might have been caused by the availability of civil unions for same-sex couples. The law came into effect on 2007-FEB-19. The 2007-AUG poll was taken among 803 New Jersey voters; the margin of error is ±3.5% ₄

Rutgers-Eagleton polls:

There appears to be a consistent difference between the results of the two polling companies. _2,3,4 This is probably due to the precise wording questions asked.

Additional findings:

2006-FEB: The Zogby results, for 2006-FEB, also showed: 68% of Jews favor marriage equity, as do 67% of Democrats 62% of Independents 60% of Catholics.

In addition:

	67% of New Jersey voters oppose a constitutional amendment to ban SSM;
	28% are in favor of a ban.

Steven Goldstein, chairperson of Garden State Equality said:

"If marriage equality prevails at the state Supreme Court and national anti-gay activists think of coming here, they will meet their Waterloo. New Jersey marches to a different drummer and the beat of equality. New Jersey is the state that doesn't hate."

	2006-DEC: A Zogby poll showed that 65% of New Jerseyans believe that same-sex marriage is inevitable, while only 28 percent do not. 5
	2007-AUG: A Zogby poll showed that 61% of New Jersey voters expect the state to enact marriage equality within two years; 29% disagree. 55% of the subjects said that they would be less likely or much less likely to do business with a company that denies equal benefits to gay employees. Perhaps the most meaningful question asked was:

"Which of the following comes closest to your own point of view: 

(A) If gay couples want to marry, let them.  It will ensure equality and will not affect marriages of heterosexual couples anyway.

(B)  Allow gay couples to enter into civil unions, but not marriage. Allowing gay couples to marry will hurt the institution of marriage. 

(C)  Do not allow gay couples to marry or enter into civil unions,? 

48% of voters supported marriage equality, 30% supported civil unions but no more, and 20% supported neither marriage nor civil unions for same-sex couples. ₄

2007-NOV: Jersey Family Policy Council poll:

A survey conducted by WomanTrend, a division of "the polling company inc" for the New Jersey Family Policy Council (NJFPC) produced totally different results. The Council is a conservative group pursuing "justice and righteousness," supporting "the traditional family," and opposing marriage equality. Their survey found:

	54% believe that marriage should remain restricted to between one man and one woman.
	51% would vote for a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. 6

These data differ so much from those of the Zogby and Rutgers-Eagleton polls that we can only conclude that the subjects in the poll conducted for the NJFPC are not randomly chosen, and/or that the questions were highly biased, and/or that the preamble to the questions had the result of biasing the subject against SSM.

One indicator of bias in questioning was when the subjects were asked whether they agreed with the statement:

"Same-sex couples have a right to live as they choose, but they do not have a right to redefine marriage for the rest of society."

61% of voters agreed with the statement. But the question makes no sense.

	Loving, committed same-sex couples in New Jersey do not have a right to live as they choose. Many would choose to be married if they had the chance; but they lack that right.
	Same-sex couples obviously do not have a right to redefine marriage; neither do African Americans, Mormons, males, physicians, or any other minority group. That right is held by the legislature subject to a review of constitutionality by the courts.

The telephone survey involved 600 New Jersey "likely voters" on 2007-OCT-06 to 09. The margin of error is ±4.0%. ₆

2009-APR: Quinnipiac poll:

The poll conducted between APR-14 and 20 found that New Jersey voters:

	Approve the proposed SSM law by a margin of 49 to 43% Democrats support it 64 to 29% Independents support it 50 to 41% Republicans oppose it 67 to 26%   Men oppose it 48 to 44% Women support it 63 to 39%   Blacks oppose it 54 to 38% Whites support it 50 to 42%   Those attending religious services weekly oppose it 65 to 28% Those attending less often support it 61 to 30%.
	Support the existing system of civil unions 63 to 30% Democrats support it 70 to 23% Republicans support is 51 to 43% Independent voters support it 66 to 27%
	When given the choices between SSM, civil unions, and no recognition of same-sex relationships, results were: 42% supported SSM 30% supported civil unions, but not marry 20% opposed any legal recognition, other than to treat loving, committed same-sex couples as roommates and their children as illegitimate. 7

Data indicating increasing support for SSM:

Quinnipiac polls between 2006 and 2009 indicate an increase in support for SSM by New Jersey voters: ₇

References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. Variously attributed to Benjamin Disraeli, Alfred Marshall, Mark Twain etc.
2. "Garden State Equality-Zogby Poll of New Jersey," 2005-APR, at: http://www.gardenstateequality.org/
3. "News from Garden State Equality," 2006-JUN-23, at: http://eqfed.org/

4. Zogby Poll: Six months into New Jersey civil unions, voters say change the law to real marriage equality," Garden State Equality, 2007-AUG, at: http://www.gardenstateequality.org/

5. Robert Rakelly, "N.J. governor signs civil unions law - State Supreme Courts in Massachusetts," Seattle Gay News, 2006-DEC, at: http://www.sgn.org/
6. "New Jerseyans Say: Live & Let Live for Same-Sex Couples But DON'T Redefine Marriage Law for Everyone Else," New Jersey Family Policy Council, 2007-NOV-14, at: http://www.njfpc.org/
7. "More New Jersey Voters Back Same-Sex Marriage, Qunnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Back Civil Unions 2-1, Gay Adoption Almost 2-1," 2009-APR-23, Quinnipiac University, at: http://www.quinnipiac.edu/

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Copyright © 2006 to 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Parts originally written: 2006-DEC
Latest update: 2009-MAY-23
Author: B.A. Robinson

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