There is good news for those of us who support same-sex marriage (as well as an indication in the remarkable turnaround in public attitude in a relatively short time). According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, 6 out of 10 Americans now support same-sex marriage and believe that states should not be allowed to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. That is a record showing for same-sex marriage.
The poll was clearly timed for oral arguments next week on whether state restrictions on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. I believe that there is likely a fifth vote with Justice Anthony Kennedy to support a ruling in favor of same-sex marriage. Indeed, it will be interesting to watch Chief Justice John Roberts on this issue. Roberts has shown a strong institutional sensitivity and many be the most likely of the remaining justices to feel the pull of history on the issue.
Not surprisingly, the greatest gains have been seen in those under age 30 where support has grown since 2005 from 57 percent to 78 percent. However, even among the historically least supportive group (those 65 and over) support is now at 46 percent (from just 18 percent).
Republicans still oppose at a rate of 6 to 10, however. This creates an interesting dynamic for the Republican primary where some candidates have already shown movement toward greater acceptance. The trend appears in that direction. Moreover, GOP candidates face the classic dilemma of fighting to secure the nomination from the most conservative members of the party while being able to run nationally to appeal to independents and democrats. The social agenda of conservative Republicans has never appealed to as much to independents and libertarians in the general election.
Source: Washington Post
The reason that positions are shifting has nothing to do with legislation or judicial rulings. As more and more people come out, we learn that they are our family, our friends, our lawyers, teachers, doctors, ministers, store owners, and, yes, our hairdressers, entertainers, and interior designers. And this makes it much harder to fear them, to stigmatize them, or to throw Bible quotes around damning them to hell [except for only the most determined traditionalists]. And when they do marry, NOTHING HAPPENS!! More and more people continue to realize how stupid it is to make an issue of it. The zeitgeist, not the SCOTUS, has already ruled on the issue of gay marriage. It’s over.
Guess that poll is good news for Hillary Clinton and the democrats. Wonder what kind of crazy platform the republican party will come up with regards to gay marriage in 2016. The Texas republican platform includes “pray away the gay” language.
I don’t think it is the “pull of history” as much as it is the “push of propaganda.” I would not be surprised if the poll is correct for several reasons. One, most people don’t care enough about what a silly and screwed up minority are doing to be against it. Two, they have been convinced (brainwashed) that gay marriage is the right side of history.
Whatever, the real rub will come in the secondary effects of all the anti-heteronormative stuff that will follow. Because the Gaystapo will not stop with this, but will invent new and exciting (and silly) problems to raise money over.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Edward
Being a leader in a democracy is to represent the wishes of the people. You look, as do many Americans, at the President/King or benevolent dictator, holy father, model.
The essence of the well functioning democracy is the well informed voter and the responsive leader. We, unfortunately, do not have that. We have an oligarchy where small well funded groups can upset the wishes of the people for their segment’s good. Oil and gas, Coal, NRA, Koch bros, and more on both sides of the left right divide dictate to the people through disproportionate influence bought and paid for indirectly with the money of all.
It is ironic that we all pay for the oil and gas industry to lobby and own our ‘leaders’ that then screw us in every way imaginable. A leader in a democracy is only as good as its voters. The idiot voter that is swayed by the media supports the oligarchs. A voter that takes the time and effort to understand the issues supports a leader. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way so much in the US. In the US most leaders are lap dogs of the oligarchs that do not respond democratically to the people. So, as unheroic as it may seem, Obama taking the stance of 60% of the people is exactly what he should do. Or, would you rather have a Rubio or a Jindal in there standing tall for 1% or 40% of the people.
Americans seeking equality, it’s the American Way. For those who want the U.S. to legislate like a theocracy, you’ll get the kind of pushback you saw in Indiana and Arkansas. I can’t wait to see what June brings with the probable SC ruling on same sex marriage. I can see conservatives are already in panic mode. It’s great this is happening so close to the 2016 election as we know social issues matter. Remember 60% is a huge majority as opinions…and elections go.
Issac-
Being a leader is doing whatever is popular? To me, that’s the opposite of leadership. I’m in favor of gay marriage, but the idea that President Obama showed “leadership” on this issue is a joke. He waited until he had the polls and then he was for it. Leadership would have been stating his position when it was unpopular and then leading from the front.
There’s a big difference between support and don’t object to. What this post is saying is that 60% of the people would go out and physically march for gay marriage, when the truth probably is that 60% of the people don’t object to gay people getting wed. what I see is a windfall for divorce lawyers and marriage counselors
Bill H
That is what it means to be a leader. If 60% are for gay marriage then the leader is for gay marriage. Then you have dolts like Rubio who represent the 1% and proudly states this, and Jindal who wants to foist his religious beliefs on all. Freedom from religion is our right.
Religion is a subset of humanity. Western humanity is ruled by democratic process and enhanced awareness. To see the results of societies ruled by religious doctrine, simply pick up a newspaper.
In reality the marriage that is being afforded to gays and should be afforded to gays is that of the civil and legal union that concerns civil rights. The marriages as designed by religion, regardless of the religion, are determined by those religions, as they should be, religions being subsets of society. If you want to belong to a club that doesn’t recognize gay civil unions then join a club that doesn’t recognize gay civil unions.
Those that feel that their religious convictions are greater than the rights and freedoms that peoples of free societies, including ours, should impact those other than themselves should again pick up a newspaper and see where that goes when left to religion only.
Personally, I don’t have any idea of what it is like to be gay. However, I haven’t experienced gays intimidating, opposing, or oppressing heterosexuals. Given the hardships endured and yet to be endured by gays, only an extremist would believe that these people choose to be this way. Science, common sense, and rational thought illustrate that they have no choice. They do no harm.
Those that oppose and wish to oppress these people in any way should look to them selves and the weakness of their convictions. If it is necessary to oppress others in order to believe in this or that supreme being and fairy tale then perhaps it is for the good of all that religion be kept where it should be kept, a personal choice and not something over which one has no control.
Every time I read something by a religions person maintaining that society should be this way or that way because of their interpretations of their fairy tales, I look at this as a warning. Religion is a subset of society. The greatest freedom we should be protecting is to be free from persecution by subsets of society. Freedom of religion means freedom from religion. Read the founding fathers.
As long at Hollywood and gay right organizations continue to inundate the public, the gay marriage rights will continue to become more favorable.
Marriage, as a whole, has lost its true meaning of commitment between a man and woman as a union and stability for raising children.
Anyone “marrying,” and divorcing, or just living together has become the norm. Fewer people look upon marriage as a sacred bond between a man and woman, because no one wants to commit themselves to that union these days.
These day, America saddens me and so do you JT.
This is why Obama’s belief “evolved” such that he now supports gay marriage. The parade formed for him to get in fromt of so that he can be a leader on the issue.
Reblogged this on The Law Office of Mary A. Cosmo and commented:
It is no wonder that current societal views on same-sex marriage have forced the Courts to advance with the times. It is well recognized that the Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized the fundamental right to marry. Yet, Florida refused to recognize same-sex marriages until the Northern District Court of Florida in Brenner v Scott, on August 21, 2014, issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the state from enforcing its bans and then stayed its injunction until stays are lifted in the three same-sex marriage cases then petitioning for a writ of certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court–Bostic, Bishop, and Kitchen–and for 91 days thereafter, 999 F. Supp. 2d 1278, 1292-1293, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 116684, 35, 25 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. D 11 (N.D. Fla. 2014).
It is sad that the Courts are not quite there yet as some cases are still pending. But, there is progress and hope that all fundamental right will be recognized one day is all states. –Mary A. Cosmo, Esq.
I’m one of the 40%. To me, same sex marriage is an oxymoron.
Glad I’m one of the 40%…marriage by it’s very definition, is a union between a man and woman…a sacrament that “hopefully”, leads to procreation… in this union families are created. Even in liberal California, the voters rejected this abomination…
I wish we could outlaw Bobby Jindal!
But seriously religious sensitives should not guide our public policy or the rights our citizens enjoy. Now if we could just move forward with giving women their full rights as human being we might actually be doing something!
“The poll was clearly timed for oral arguments next week on whether state restrictions on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional.”
Justice Breyer has written that the “consequences” of a decision are a consideration in making a judicial determination.
When Justices have a public opinion poll in one hand and the Constitution in the other, is there really a difference between them and our elected representatives?
Ohhh-yes I almost forgot. The justices are not elected.
So, the “polls” have spoken and it doesn’t look good for the conservatives.
I have searched the Biblical scriptures and cannot find a way to support gay marriage. How are you able to do it after knowing: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse…their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools…Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves…For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.” Romans 1, (part).
Jesus consistently teaches the difficulty of following Him. The two gates in the following verse represents every person’s choice; following Jesus or following any other path. Only the more difficult, less-chosen gate to follow Christ’s teachings leads to life. (MacArthur). Matthew 7:13 says: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
I can’t believe how stupid our country has become concerning the institution of marriage. I guess it all goes along with this lazy and selfish me generation. Interestingly, the shift in opinion did not happen through the democratic process of voting, but through judicial activism and warped arguments about civil rights for sex partners. Many are perhaps just looking for the easy way out of the debate, which is to let the whiners overturn the democratic legislation.
Popular opinion didn’t mean much in California when they voted down gay marriage only to have their preference overturned by a judge.
If only all our legal issues could be resolved by polls.