Every day it seems, the right-wings arguments about marriage crumble a little more. They’re losing on public opinion — and the trend is heading in our direction.
CNN just released its latest nationwide survey. There were two questions on marriage for gays and lesbians — and the results are good. I added some emphasis:
Nearly half of all Americans think the Constitution provides same-sex couples the right to marry, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll.
Forty-nine percent of respondents think gay and lesbian couples have the constitutional right to get married and have their marriage recognized by law, while 51 percent say those rights do not exist.
The gap widens dramatically when age is taken into account. Nearly six in ten Americans under the age of 50 say gay rights are protected under the Constitution. Only 38 percent of Americans over the age of 50 say the same thing.
“This is one of the few instances when independents side with one party rather than falling in between the Dems and the GOP,” CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. “56 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Independents think the Constitution conveys the right to marry to same-sex couples. Only a quarter of all Republicans agree.”
By the time the Prop. 8 case hits the Supreme Court (assuming it does), we’ll have a majority on our side. Not that the Court will take that into consideration, but it takes away a talking point from the haters. By then, hopefully the President will be on board with full equality, too.
And, even better numbers when asked if gays and lesbians should have a constitutional right to right to marry. A majority supports that view:
In a separate question, some respondents were asked whether the Constitution should (rather than does) give gays and lesbians the right to marry.
“That’s different than asking respondents what they think is currently in the Constitution,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.
In that separate question, 52% said that same-sex couples should have the constitutional right to marry; 46% say the Constitution should not convey that right.
Here’s how it looks:
