Recent state-wide polling demonstrates decisive majority support for marriage
March 04, 2013
Over the past year and a half, national poll after national poll has indicated the fact that a decisive majority of Americans support the freedom to marry - and that the majority only continues to grow as more and more people take the time to consider why marriage matters to same-sex couples and their families. In the past week, a number of new state-wide polls have demonstrated huge majorities in states currently discussing the freedom to marry and working to pass laws to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage. Here's a look at three of these recent polls:
Delaware: 54% Support
A new poll released today demonstrates that a strong 54 percent majority of people in Delaware support a bill that would extend the freedom to marry to same-sex couples. Only 37 percent of respondents said they oppose the bill. Equality Delaware trumpeted the news today, with Board President Lisa Goodman saying, "This poll shows that Delawareans, like a majority of Americans, believe in marriage equality. As we have seen from the recent passage of marriage bills through the house in Rhode Island and the senate in Illinois, other states are moving to marriage. A majority of Delawareans now look forward to Delaware also becoming a state where every loving couple has the unique protections and recognition that only marriage can provide." Read the polling memo HERE (PDF).
Rhode Island: 60% Support
Last week, a new poll from Brown University indicated that a strong 60.4 percent majority of Rhode Islanders support the freedom to marry for same-sex couples and all Rhode Island families. Ray Sullivan, the campaign director for Rhode Islanders United for Marriage, the coalition working to pass a marriage bill in RI in 2013, celebrated the news last week. He said: "This poll affirms what we are hearing on the phones and at people's doors - a growing majority of Rhode Islanders strongly support marriage equality. This independent poll shows three out of five Rhode Islanders believe all loving, committed couples should have access to the unique protection and recognition of marriage. We are going to keep organizing and advocating for all Rhode Island families, and continue to capture this energy and enthusiasm across the state." Read the polling memo HERE.
California: 61% Support
Last Wednesday, a Field Poll out of California showed that 61 percent of surveyed voters in the state believe that gay and lesbian couples should be able to wed. It's the highest level of support that Field Poll numbers have ever demonstrated for marriage in California. John O'Connor, Executive Director of Equality California, explained that support for marriage in the state has risen dramatically since anti-gay activists pushed through the passage of Proposition 8 to strip same-sex couples of the freedom to marry. He said, "Time is on our side on the issue. Every time a poll comes out we see an increase in public support." Read more HERE.
Read more about recent polling on the majority of Americans who support marriage for same-sex couples.