Historic: New poll demonstrates record support for the freedom to marry nationwide
Mar 18, 2013 at 02:15 pm
A new poll from The Washington Post and ABC News signals the continued growth of the majority of Americans who support the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. Fifty-eight percent of people surveyed in a new survey, released this afternoon, said they support marriage for same-sex couples.
Here are some key highlights from the historic poll:
- 58% of all respondents said they support marriage, with only 36% opposed
- 81% of young adults ages 18-29, regardless of political affiliation, support marriage.
- 72% of Democrats said they support marriage (23% opposed), and 62% of Independents are supportive (33% opposed)
- 52% of Republicans and GOP-leaning Independents ages 18-49 said they support marriage.
- Overall support for marriage has increased by 17 points since 2004, when 41% of respondents said they supported the freedom to marry.
- Among Republicans of all ages, support has soared, with numbers increasing 20 points since 2004 for Republicans ages 50-64 and 16 points since 2004 for Republicans over the age of 65.
Also of note is the response to the question: "Do you think each state should make its own law on whether same-sex marriage is legal or illegal there, or do you think this should be decided for all states on the basis of the U.S. Constitution?" Sixty-four percent of respondents indicated that they believe the U.S. Constitution should decide the question of the freedom to marry for same-sex couples.
Freedom to Marry founder and President Evan Wolfson commented:
This latest poll underscores America's dramatic and stunning embrace of the freedom to marry, and says to decision-makers - lawmakers, judges, and even justices - that it is time to end marriage discrimination. By nearly 2-l, 64-33 percent, Americans understand that the freedom to marry ‘should be decided for all states on the basis of the U.S. Constitution,' not confined to the house divided of unequal treatment and legal patchwork that confront loving and committed couples today. With a super-majority of Americans now supporting the freedom to marry, and majority support in nearly every segment of the public, the freedom to marry's time has, indeed, come.