New poll tracks record high support and confirms America is ready for marriage
March 05, 2014
On March 5, after two months of huge momentum for the freedom to marry in the courts (with federal court victories in Utah, Ohio, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Virginia and Texas), The Washington Post and ABC News released a new poll that tracks record-high support for the freedom to marry.
The poll shows a record-high 59% of Americans support marriage for same-sex couples, with only 34% opposed. The deep support reaches into every region of the country, including the South, Midwest, and West, and extends across party lines: 40% of Republicans back the freedom for all couples to marry.
Freedom to Marry National Campaign Director Marc Solomon talked about the significance of the poll, saying:
Bipartisan momentum is overwhelmingly on our side. A supermajority of Americans believe in freedom and fairness, and support is growing at an unprecedented speed.
Overwhelmingly, Americans – no matter where they live, how old they are, or what party they belong to – believe in treating their gay and lesbian family members and friends with dignity and respect by supporting their freedom to marry. It’s the right thing to do on both moral and constitutional grounds.
Over the past few weeks, the climate has been very favorable for the freedom to marry/ People are seeing where this is heading and want to be on the winning – and right - side of history.
Here are key findings from the poll:
- For the first time, 50% or more of Americans in every region of the country support the freedom to marry. In the South, support is at 50% to 42% opposed; in the Midwest, support is at 66% to 28% opposed; in the West, support is at 59% to 32% opposed; and in the Northeast, support is at 68% to 26% opposed.
- For the first time, every age grouping shows a plurality of support. Among Americans age 65 and over, support is at 47% to 43% opposed; among voters age 40-64, support is at 54% to 38% opposed; among voters age 18-39, support is at 72% to 22% opposed.
- Support cuts across political beliefs: Among Republicans, support is at 40%, with 23% strongly supportive. Among self-described moderates, support is at 64%to 27% opposed.
- 50% of Americans believe that the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection gives gays the right to marry, while just 41 percent say it does not.
- Among all voters, Americans who are supportive feel more intensely about their position than those opposed — 39% are strongly supportive versus 24% who are strongly opposed.