Good news. We’re not there yet, and as these new poll results show, we’re still dealing with the fact that those who oppose us do so more vehemently than those who support us, but still, things are looking good:
Fifty-three percent of the 1,000 adults surveyed believe the government should give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same sex, about the same as last year, according to the nationwide telephone poll by The Associated Press and the National Constitution Center. Forty-four percent were opposed.
People are similarly conflicted over what, if anything, the government should do about the issue.
Support for legal recognition of same-sex marriage has shifted in recent years, from narrow majority opposition in 2009 to narrow majority support now. Some of the shift stems from a generational divide, with the new poll showing a majority of Americans younger than 65 in favor of legal recognition for same-sex marriages and a majority of seniors opposed.
One problem, explored in the article, is that that there are a lot of people out there who know in their hearts that they should support full equality, but can’t get there because their religious beliefs prevent them from making the truly moral choice. A sixty-two year old woman explains that she loves her daughter, loves her daughter’s partner and believes that they should have all the rights and benefits of marriage — but yet she won’t be going to her daughter’s wedding because she’s a Mormon and can’t give them her full support. It’s so sad, the way that conservative religion still tears families apart.
