LONGITUDINAL U.S. PUBLIC OPINION POLLS:

SAME-SEX CIVIL UNIONS

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Status of same-sex marriages (SSM) and civil unions:

As of 2006-MAR, same-sex marriages are only available in the Netherlands, Belgium, Massachusetts, Spain, and Canada. Some jurisdictions limit SSM to residents only. Their legislators or courts have simply re-written their marriage laws so that loving, committed couples of all sexual orientations can marry.

However, the states of Vermont, California Connecticut, New Zealand, the UK, and other countries allow gays and lesbians to enter into civil unions or domestic partnerships. In the U.S., these couples receive all of the rights, privileges, and obligations that the state gives to married couples, but are denied over 1,000 federal benefits.

Gallup Organization poll data 1996 to 2003:

Results of a similar poll by the Washington Post were announced on 2003-AUG-14. Three unusual events had occurred between the May and August polls:

Perhaps because of these developments, there was a precipitous drop of 12% in support for civil unions.

Pew Research Center poll data 2003 to 2005:

They asked: "Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into legal agreements with each other that would give them many of the same rights as married couples?"

The question was similar to that asked by the Gallup Organization above, except that "legal agreements" replaced "civil unions" and "many of the same rights" replaced "some of the legal rights."

Equal numbers of American adults appear to have supported and opposed civil unions during early 2004. There has been a trend towards supporting civil unions ever since. Still, the current level of support would probably be insufficient to assure passage of a proposition or plebiscite. That is because:

References used:

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

1. "Six out of 10 Americans Say Homosexual Relations Should Be Recognized as Legal
   But Americans are evenly divided on issue of legal civil unions between homosexuals giving them the legal rights of married couples," The Gallup Organization, 2003-MAY-15, at: http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/ *
2. "New Poll: Majority of Americans are Defenders of Marriage," Family Research Council, Washington Update, 2003-AUG-14.
3. Richard Mornin & Alan Cooperman, "Poll shows strong disapproval of religious sanctioning of same-sex relationships," Washington Post, 2003-AUG-14, at: http://www.ajc.com/
4. "Law and Civil Rights," Polling Report, 2006, at: http://www.pollingreport.com/

* Gallup Poll data typically remains accessible to the public for a limited time, and then requires a premium membership to access.

Copyright © 2001 TO 2006  by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally written: 2001-JUL-30
Latest update: 2006-MAR-25
Author: B.A. Robinson