Spike in Gay Marriage Opposition Disappears

In what was a classic political hornswaggle the Republican Party managed to leverage the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision legalizing Gay Marriage in that state into a burning national issue in 2004. It’s quite possible that this is what cost John Kerry the election and it has certainly led to the current misery under Bush the Unhinged.

Now of course, under the influence of Right Wing Christian Conservatives, the Republicans are trying it again. But perhaps things are a little different in 2006. We’ve had three years of an unjustified war in Iraq. We’ve had an unbroken stream of lies and deception from the administration on issues as diverse as weapons of mass destruction and the NSA eves dropping on American’s telephone calls. Finally, last, but certainly not least, Gay Marriage has been legal in Massachusetts for two years and the state has managed to survive pretty much intact. Lightening bolts from Sky Daddy haven’t incinerated anyone and there’s no noticeable indication that group marriage or polygamy (despite HBO's series Big Love) are on the horizon.

A March poll, by the Pew Research Group, indicates that the spike of opposition to Gay Marriage the Republicans and conservative organizations managed to whip up in 2004 has disappeared and attitudes appear to be more in line with the trend since the early 1990s of a slow, but steady, acceptance of homosexuality.

In February of 2004 fully 63% of Americans opposed Gay Marriage. This number in March of 2006 was 51% which is much more in line with the July of 2003 and July of 2005 numbers of 53%. The number of Americans in favor of Gay Marriage has increased from 30% in 2004, to 36% in 2005, and now stands at 39% in 2006.

Gay Adoption, another issue the Republicans were hoping to stir up some fuss on, came out almost a dead heat with 48% opposing and 46% in favor. You can adopt kids you just can’t get married? That makes a whole lot of sense doesn’t it?

In other issues addressed in the poll Americans oppose a national version of the South Dakota abortion ban by a whopping 58%-34% so don’t expect the Republicans to start pushing on the Abortion Amendment again anytime soon.

Some details from the Pew Report just sort of enforce the feeling that there are two different countries here. The Northeast and West form one country and the South and Midwest form the other (although the Midwest kind of leans toward neutral). Similarly we have the educated and the less educated.

Opinion on Gay Adoption broke down as follows by region.

Northeast - Favor = 57%, Opposed = 35%
West - Favor = 53%, Opposed = 38%
Midwest - Favor = 44%, Opposed = 51%
South - Favor = 35%, Opposed = 60%

Opinion on Gay Adoption broke down as follows by education.

College Degree – Favor = 55%, Opposed = 37%
Some College – Favor = 49%, Opposed = 45%
HS Grad or Less – Favor = 38%, Opposed = 56%

Then again, perhaps we are all pulling in the same direction but some of us get there first is all. Opinion on the South Dakota Abortion Ban as a national law broke down as follows by region.

Northeast – Favor = 29%, Opposed = 63%
West – Favor = 30%, Opposed = 60%
Midwest - Favor = 40%, Opposed = 54%
South - Favor = 37%, Opposed = 56%

Opinion on the South Dakota Abortion Ban as a national law broke down as follows by education.

College Degree - Favor = 24%, Opposed = 70%
Some College - Favor = 35%, Opposed = 57%
HS Grad or Less - Favor = 40%, Opposed = 51%

Isn’t it interesting that the Northeast and West tend to line up more with the educated segments of the population? The same thing was true in a poll about evolution vs. creationism. I wonder why that is? Trust me on this one, people are no smarter nor much better educated in the Northeast and West than in the Midwest. The South of course consists solely of uneducated rednecks that sleep with their sisters.

Nah, only kidding. I wonder if there is such an organization as "South Bashers Anonymous" to cure me of this tendency to constantly identify the shortcomings of the southern region of this country?

Actually, it's more likely the difference is because Evangelical Christianity is weakest in the Northeast and West. In this survey Evangelical Christians opposed Gay adoption by a margin of 75%-22% and favored the South Dakota Abortion Ban by a margin of 59%-36% demonstrating again how they are out of tune with American Democracy yet they want to enforce their “moral values” on the rest of us. It is times like this that make me sorry I decided to never use a certain word in this blog since I’d really like to tell them what to do to themselves.

In contrast, folks who described themselves as "Secular" favored Gay Adoption by a margin of 66%-28% and opposed the South Dakota Abortion Ban by an incredible 82%-16%. Yes my children the Culture War is alive and well.