New poll in Minnesota demonstrates increasing support for the freedom to marry

In 2012, residents across the state of Minnesota had a year-long conversation about why marriage matters to same-sex couples and why limiting the freedom to marry would be harmful to families in the state. Minnesotans United for All Families, a broad-based coalition of community groups, faith-based institutions, and advocacy organizations, led the conversation in order to defeat a proposed anti-gay constitutional amendment that would have constitutionally restricted marriage to different-sex couples.

On Election Day, the effort proved successful as the majority of voters in the state - and 58 percent of MN legislative districts - came together to vote NO on the anti-gay amendment. The defeat of the amendment was a decisive message from voters that marriage matters and that they did not want to limit the basic freedom to marry of Minnesotans. That's how Minnesotans United for All Families knows that now is the time to complete the conversation on the freedom to marry by passing a marriage bill in 2013. 

new poll released last week from Public Policy Polling demonstrated increasing support among Minnesotans for a marriage bill, indicating that a plurality of residents support ending the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they support marriage for same-sex couples, while only 45 percent said they oppose it. These numbers affirm that the momentum for state legislators to extend the freedom to marry to same-sex couples in Minnesota is stronger than ever. 

We're already seeing marriage supporters rally together to urge legislators to pass an inclsuive bill. In less than two weeks, nearly 20,000 individuals signed Minnesotans United's petition for a marriage bill. 

In 2013, state legislators in Minnesota have the historic opportunity to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage by no longer singling out same-sex couples and treating them differently simply because of who they are and who they love.

Learn more about the freedom to marry in Minnesota, and read stories of real Minnesota couples like Nick & Andy (Pictured), Casey & Eric, and Jim & Duane