Civil Rights

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Law and Civil Rights ► Page 1: Same-sex marriage, gay rights ► Page 2: Civil liberties, tort reform . . .	See also: Supreme Court \| Crime \| Race/Ethnicity \| War on Terrorism

Polls listed chronologically.

Same-Sex Marriage, Gay Rights

CBS News Poll. Sept. 28-Oct. 2, 2011. N=1,012 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
						.
"Do you favor or oppose allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military? ... Do you favor/oppose that strongly or not so strongly?"
						.
		Favor strongly	Favor not so strongly	Oppose not so strongly	Oppose strongly	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/28 - 10/2/11	50	18	7	15	10
	11/29 - 12/2/10	53	16	8	15	8
	10/21-26/10	46	16	9	19	10

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. July 14-17, 2011. N=1,001 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.
					.
"Do you think it should be legal or illegal for gay and lesbian couples to get married?" 2011, 2010 and 2005: "gay and lesbian." 2009: "gay and lesbian" asked of half the sample, "homosexual" asked of half the sample. Other years: "homosexual."
					.
		Legal	Illegal	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/14-17/11	51	45	4
	3/10-13/11	53	44	3
	2/4-8/10	47	50	3
	4/21-24/09	49	46	5
	5/31 - 6/4/06	36	58	5
	8/25-28/05	39	58	3
	3/4-7/04	38	59	3
	2/18-22/04	39	55	6
	1/15-18/04	41	55	4
	9/03	37	55	7
					.
"New York recently passed a law that allows gay and lesbian couples to marry. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?"
					.
		Positive	Negative	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/14-17/11	50	46	5

Quinnipiac University Poll. July 5-11, 2011. N=2,311 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.
					.
"Would you support or oppose a law in your state that would allow same-sex couples to get married?"
					.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/5-11/11	46	48	6
	4/21-27/09	38	55	7
					.
"Under current federal law states can refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Do you think this law should remain in existence or not?"
					.
		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/5-11/11	44	49	7
	4/21-27/09	50	44	6
					.
"Under current federal law spouses in same-sex marriages are denied eligibility for federal benefits. Do you think this law should remain in existence or not?"
					.
		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/5-11/11	35	59	6
	4/21-27/09	39	54	7

Gallup Poll. May 5-8, 2011. N=1,018 adults nationwide. Margin or error ą 4.
					.
"Do you think marriages between same-sex couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?"
					.
		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/5-8/11	53	45	3
	5/3-6/10	44	53	3
	5/7-10/09	40	57	3
	5/8-11/08	40	56	4
	5/10-13/07	46	53	1
	5/8-11/06	42	56	2

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. April 9-10, 2011. N=824 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.
					.
"Do you think marriages between gay and lesbian couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?"
					.
		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/9-10/11	51	47	2
	Men	45	54	1
	Women	57	40	2
	Democrats	64	35	1
	Independents	55	43	2
	Republicans	27	71	2
					.
	4/23-26/09	44	54	2
	12/19-21/08	44	55	1
	6/26-29/08	44	53	3

Pew Research Center. Feb. 22-March 1, 2011. N=1,504 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally?" 5/08, 6/08 & 8/09: "Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally?"
					.
		Strongly favor/Favor	Oppose/ Strongly oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/22 - 3/1/11	45	46	9
	8/25 - 9/6/10	43	47	10
	7/21 - 8/5/10	41	48	10
	8/11-17/09	39	53	8
	4/09	35	54	11
	8/08	39	52	9
	6/18-29/08	40	52	8
	5/21-25/08	38	49	13

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Dec. 9-12, 2010. N=1,001 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.
					.
"Do you think homosexuals / gays and lesbians who do NOT publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military or not?" "Homosexuals" and "Gays and lesbians" each asked of half the sample. 2/10 & earlier: "Do you think homosexuals who do NOT publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military or not?"
					.
		Should be allowed	Should not be allowed	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/9-12/10	83	14	4
	2/4-8/10	83	15	1
	7/10-13/08	78	18	5
	1/01	75	22	3
	5/93	63	35	2
					.
"Do you think homosexuals / gays and lesbians who DO publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military or not?" "Homosexuals" and "Gays and lesbians" each asked of half the sample. 2/10 & earlier: "Do you think homosexuals who DO publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military or not?"
					.
		Should be allowed	Should not be allowed	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/9-12/10	77	21	2
	2/4-8/10	75	24	1
	7/10-13/08	75	22	3
	1/01	62	35	3
	5/93	44	55	2

Gallup Poll. Dec. 3-6, 2010. N=1,003 adults nationwide, interviewed via Gallup Daily tracking. Margin of error ą 4.
					.
"Suppose that on Election Day you could vote on key issues as well as candidates. Please tell me whether you would vote for or against a law that would do each of the following. First, would you vote for or against a law that would allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. military?"
					.
		Vote for	Vote against	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/3-6/10	67	28	5

Pew Research Center. Dec. 1-5, 2010. N=1,500 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
						.
"Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military?"
						.
		Strongly favor	Favor	Oppose	Strongly oppose	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/1-5/10	21	38	16	8	17
	11/4-7/10	23	35	16	11	16
	2/3-9/10	18	43	17	10	12

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Nov. 19-21, 2010. N=1,037 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.
						.
"As you may know, Congress is considering several issues during its lame duck session between now and the end of the year. The lame duck session includes many current members of Congress who will leave when the new Congress takes over in January. How important is it to you that the current lame duck Congress complete action on each of the following this year: very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not important at all? How about passing legislation to allow openly gay men and women to serve in the military?"
						.
		Very important	Somewhat important	Not too important	Not important at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	11/19-21/10	32	24	18	23	2

McClatchy-Marist Poll. Nov. 15-18, 2010. N=810 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.
					.
"Do you think the current Democratic Congress should repeal the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy and allow gay men and women to serve openly in the military or do you think they should not repeal it so they continue to serve but not openly?"
					.
		Should repeal	Should not repeal	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/15-18/10	47	48	5

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Nov. 11-15, 2010. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.
						.
"Now, thinking about the military: Let me read you three statements about gay men and women serving in the military, and please tell me which one comes closest to your point of view. I favor allowing gay men and women to serve in the military. I favor allowing gay men and women to serve in the military under the existing 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. I oppose allowing gay men and women to serve in the military." Options rotated
						.
		Favor allowing to serve	Favor under DADT policy	Oppose allowing to serve	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	11/11-15/10	50	38	10	2

Quinnipiac University Poll. Nov. 8-15, 2010. N=2,424 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.
					.
"Federal law currently prohibits openly gay men and women from serving in the military. Do you think this law should be repealed or not?"
					.
		Should be	Should not be	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/8-15/10	58	34	8
	2/2-8/10	57	36	6
	4/21-27/09	56	37	7

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Nov. 11-14, 2010. N=1,014 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"Do you favor or oppose permitting people who are openly gay or lesbian to serve in the military?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/11-14/10	72	23	5
	9/21-23/10	67	28	5
	2/12-15/10	69	27	4

CBS News Poll. Oct. 6-8, 2010. N=804 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.
						.
"Do you favor or oppose permitting gay men and lesbians to serve in the military? ... Do you favor/oppose that strongly or not so strongly?"
						.
		Strongly favor	Favor not so strongly	Oppose not so strongly	Oppose strongly	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/6-8/10	51	18	8	13	10
	8/20-24/10	54	21	10	9	6
						.
"What if they openly announce their sexual orientation? In that case would you favor or oppose permitting gay men and lesbians to serve in the military?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure		.
		%	%	%		.
	10/6-8/10	56	31	13		.
	8/20-24/10	64	28	8		.

CBS News Poll. Aug. 20-24, 2010. N=1,082 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Which comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry. OR, Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry. OR, There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship."
						.
		Legal marriage	Civil unions	No legal recognition	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	8/20-24/10	40	30	25	5
	Republicans	25	34	37	4
	Democrats	46	27	20	7
	Independents	44	29	21	6
						.
	4/5-12/10	39	24	30	7
						.
	6/12-16/09	33	30	32	5
	Republicans	13	35	48	4
	Democrats	45	27	23	5
	Independents	35	30	32	3
						.
	4/22-26/09	42	25	28	5
	Republicans	18	31	49	2
	Democrats	52	22	21	5
	Independents	43	26	25	6
						.
	3/12-16/09	33	27	35	5
	Republicans	6	34	59	1
	Democrats	46	23	26	5
	Independents	37	26	30	7
						.
	5/30 - 6/3/08	30	28	36	6
	Republicans	14	32	50	4
	Democrats	36	27	32	5
	Independents	34	26	31	9
						.
	3/7-11/07	28	32	35	5
	10/27-31/06	28	29	38	5
	6/06	27	30	40	3
	2/24-28/05	23	34	41	2
	11/18-21/04	21	32	44	3
	7/11-15/04	28	31	38	3
	5/20-23/04	28	29	40	3
	3/10-14/04	22	33	40	5

AP-National Constitution Center Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. Aug. 11-16, 2010. N=1,007 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.5.
						.
"Should couples of the same sex be entitled to the same government benefits as married couples of the opposite sex, or should the government distinguish between them?"
						.
		Entitled to the same	Distinguish between	Unsure	Refused
		%	%	%	%
	8/11-16/10	58	38	3	1
	9/3-8/09	54	42	4	1
	8/22-29/08	51	43	4	1
						.
"Should the federal government give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same sex, or not?" 9/09: "Should the federal government give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same sex?"
						.
		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/11-16/10	52	46	2
	9/3-8/09	46	53	1

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Aug. 10-11, 2010. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3. LV = likely voters. Except where noted, results below are among registered voters.
						.
"Do you believe gays and lesbians should be allowed to get legally married, allowed a legal partnership similar to but not called marriage, or should there be no legal recognition given to gay and lesbian relationships?"
						.
		Legally married	Legal partnership	No legal recognition	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	8/10-11/10	37	29	28	6
	5/12-13/09	33	33	29	5
	11/4-5/06 LV	30	30	32	7
	6/13-14/06	27	25	39	8
	5/18-19/04	25	26	40	9
	3/3-4/04	20	33	40	7

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Aug. 6-10, 2010. N=1,009 adults nationwide.
					.
"Do you think gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to get married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid?" N=513 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5
					.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/6-10/10	49	51	-
	5/14-17/09	45	54	1
					.
"Do you think gays and lesbians should have a constitutional right to get married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid?" N=496 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5
					.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/6-10/10	52	46	2

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. May 21-23, 2010. N=1,023 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you think people who are openly gay or homosexual should or should not be allowed to serve in the U.S. military?"
					.
		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/21-23/10	78	20	2
	12/19-21/08	81	17	1
	5/4-6/07	79	18	3

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Feb. 12-15, 2010. N=1,023 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you personally think that homosexual relationships between consenting adults is morally wrong, or not a moral issue?"
					.
		Morally wrong	Not a moral issue	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/12-15/10	48	50	2

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Feb. 5-10, 2010. Adults nationwide.
						.
"Do you favor or oppose permitting homosexuals to serve in the military? ... Do you favor/oppose that strongly or not so strongly?" N=550 (Form A)
						.
		Favor Strongly	Favor Not So Strongly	Oppose Strongly	Oppose Not So Strongly	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/5-10/10	34	25	19	10	12
	1/11-15/09	46	21	11	6	16
	2/9-11/93	21	21	29	13	15
						.
"Do you favor or oppose permitting homosexuals to serve in the military?" If favor: "What if they openly announce their sexual orientation? In that case would you favor or oppose permitting homosexuals to serve in the military?" N=550 (Form A). Combined responses.
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure		.
		%	%	%		.
	2/5-10/10	44	42	14		.
						.
"Do you favor or oppose permitting gay men and lesbians to serve in the military?" If favor: "What if they openly announce their sexual orientation? In that case would you favor or oppose permitting gay men and lesbians to serve in the military?" N=534 (Form B). Combined responses.
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure		.
		%	%	%		.
	2/5-10/10	58	28	14		.

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Feb. 4-8, 2010. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
					.
"Do you think gay and lesbian couples should or should not be allowed to form legally recognized civil unions, giving them the legal rights of married couples in areas such as health insurance, inheritance and pension coverage?"
					.
		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/4-8/10	66	31	3
					.
"Do you yourself have a friend, family member, or acquaintance who is gay or lesbian, or not?"
					.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/4-8/10	63	36	1
	8/98	59	40	1

Quinnipiac University Poll. Feb. 2-8, 2010. N=2,617 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 1.9.
					.
"Some people say that not allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military is discrimination. Do you agree or disagree?"
					.
		Agree	Disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/2-8/10	66	31	3
	4/21-27/09	60	36	4
					.
"Some people say that allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military would be divisive for the troops and hurt their ability to fight effectively. Do you agree or disagree?"
					.
		Agree	Disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/2-8/10	30	65	5
	4/21-27/09	35	58	7
					.
"Do you think the military should aggressively pursue disciplinary action against gay service members whose orientation is revealed against their will by third parties, or should this practice be ended?"
					.
		Disciplinary Action	End Practice	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/2-8/10	10	82	8
					.
"Do you think gay military personnel should face any restrictions on exhibiting their sexual orientation on the job or not?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/2-8/10	54	38	8
					.
"Do you think the Pentagon should be responsible to provide for the domestic partners of gay personnel or not?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/2-8/10	43	50	8
					.
"Do you think heterosexual military personnel should be required to share quarters with gay personnel or not?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/2-8/10	45	46	8

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Feb. 2-3, 2010. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you favor or oppose allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	61	30	9
	Democrats	82	15	3
	Republicans	44	46	10
	Independents	62	26	13

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Oct. 22-25, 2009. N=1,009 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
						.
"Do you favor or oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into same-sex marriages?" If favor or oppose: "Would you say that you strongly favor/oppose, or just somewhat favor/oppose?"
							.
		Strongly favor	Somewhat favor	Somewhat oppose	Strongly oppose	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%	%
	10/22-25/09	26	15	9	40	3	7
	3/04	18	12	10	51	3	5

AP-National Constitution Center Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. Sept. 3-8, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
						.
"Should state governments give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same sex?"
						.
		Yes	No	Unsure	Refused
		%	%	%	%
	9/3-8/09	46	52	2	1

Pew Research Center survey. Aug. 11-17, 2009. N=2,010 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.5.
					.
"Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into legal agreements with each other that would give them many of the same rights as married couples?"
					.
		Strongly favor/Favor	Oppose/ Strongly oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/11-17/09	57	37	6
	4/09	53	39	8
	8/08	54	40	6
	5/21-25/08	51	41	8
	7/6-19/06	54	42	4
	7/13-17/05	53	40	7
	8/5-10/04	48	45	7
	7/04	49	43	8
	3/04	49	44	7
	10/03	45	47	8

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. May 12-13, 2009. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"In general, do you think straight people in your community who have traditional religious values are tolerant of gays and lesbians and their beliefs, or not? . . ."
						.
		Very tolerant	Somewhat tolerant	Somewhat intolerant	Very intolerant	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	5/12-13/09	22	45	14	14	6
						.
"In general, do you think gays and lesbians in your community are tolerant of straight people who have traditional religious values and their beliefs, or not? . . ."
						.
		Very tolerant	Somewhat tolerant	Somewhat intolerant	Very intolerant	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	5/12-13/09	32	35	10	9	13

USA Today/Gallup Poll. May 7-10, 2009. N=1,015 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Just your best guess, do you think that allowing two people of the same sex to legally marry will change our society for the better, will it have no effect, or will it change our society for the worse?" Options rotated
						.
		Better	No effect	Worse	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/7-10/09	13	36	48	2
	9/19-21/03	10	40	48	2
						.
"Do you favor or oppose allowing openly gay men and lesbian women to serve in the military?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/7-10/09	69	26	6
	11/19-21/04	63	32	5

Quinnipiac University Poll. April 21-27, 2009. N=2,041 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 2.2.
						.
"Would you support or oppose a law in your state that would allow civil unions for same-sex couples?"
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/21-27/09	57	38	5
						.
"Do you think same-sex couples should be allowed legally to marry, should be allowed legally to form civil unions but not marry, or should not be allowed to obtain legal recognition of their relationships?"
						.
		Legally Marry	Form Civil Unions	No Legal Recognition	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/21-27/09	33	26	34	6
	7/8-13/08	32	33	29	6
						.
"Some people say that same-sex marriage is a threat to traditional marriage between a man and woman. Do you agree or disagree?"
						.
		Agree	Disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/21-27/09	39	58	3
						.
"Some people say that not allowing same-sex couples to get married is discrimination. Do you agree or disagree?"
						.
		Agree	Disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/21-27/09	45	51	3
						.
"Who do you think should decide whether same-sex couples should be allowed to get married: your state legislature or your state courts?"
						.
		Legislature	Courts	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/21-27/09	43	25	5	16	12
						.
"Do you support or oppose allowing same-sex couples to adopt children?"
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/21-27/09	53	40	6
						.
"In your opinion, what causes someone to be gay or lesbian? Do you believe that people are born gay or lesbian, or that people become gay or lesbian because of the way they are brought up, or is it just the way that some people choose to live?"
						.
		Born	Brought Up	Choose	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/21-27/09	42	6	36	16
						.
"Do you have close friends or close relatives who are gay or lesbian?"
						.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/21-27/09	63	34	3
						.
"In general, do you think government is paying too much, too little, or about the right amount of attention to the needs of gays and lesbians?"
						.
		Too Much	Too Little	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/21-27/09	41	22	26	11
						.
"In general, do you think society is paying too much, too little, or about the right amount of attention to the needs of gays and lesbians?"
						.
		Too Much	Too Little	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/21-27/09	49	21	22	8
						.
"Some people say that ending discrimination against gay men and women is as necessary today as ending discrimination against blacks was in the 1960s. Do you agree or disagree?"
						.
		Agree	Disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/21-27/09	44	50	6

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. April 23-26, 2009. Adults nationwide.
					.
"If a state's government does not legally recognize marriages between gays or lesbians, do you think that state should or should not allow gay and lesbian couples to form civil unions which would give them some of the legal rights of married couples?" N=1,005 (Form A), MoE ą 3
					.
		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/23-26/09	60	38	2
					.
"Do you favor or oppose the policy sometimes called 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in which the U.S. military does not ask new recruits whether they are gay or lesbian, but prohibits gays and lesbians from serving in the military if they reveal their sexual orientation?" N=1,014 (Form B), MoE ą 3
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/23-26/09	48	47	5
					.
"Do you happen to have a family member or close friend who is gay or lesbian?" N=2,019, MoE ą 2
					.
		Yes	No
		%	%
	4/23-26/09	49	51
	8/6-8/07	45	55

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. April 21-24, 2009. N=1,072 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"If a gay or lesbian couple gets legally married in another state, do you think that marriage should or should not be recognized as legal in your state?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/21-24/09	53	43	4

CBS News Poll. March 12-16, 2009. N=1,142 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
						.
"Which comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry. OR, Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry. OR, There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship."
						.
		Legal Marriage	Civil Unions	No Legal Recognition	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/12-16/09	33	27	35	5
	Republicans	6	34	59	1
	Democrats	46	23	26	5
	Independents	37	26	30	7
	18-45 years old	41	23	32
	45-64	29	32	35
	65 & older	18	27	47
	Men	27	28	42
	Women	38	26	30

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Dec. 19-21, 2008. N=1,013 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you think marriages between gay and lesbian couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/19-21/08	44	55	1
					.
	"Do you think marriages between gay and lesbian couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?" If yes: "Do you think gays and lesbians do or do not have a constitutional right to get married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid?"
					.
		Valid -- Constitutional Right	Valid -- No Constitutional Right	Should Not Be Recognized As Valid	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/19-21/08	39	5	55	1

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Dec. 3-4, 2008. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.7.
						.
"Now I have a few questions about the situation for gay men and women in this country and the issue of gay rights. Do you think there should or should NOT be [see below]?"
						.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
						.
	"Legally-sanctioned gay and lesbian unions or partnerships"
	12/3-4/08	55	36	9
						.
	"Legally-sanctioned gay and lesbian marriages"
	12/3-4/08	39	55	6
						.
	"Adoption rights for gays and lesbians so they can legally adopt children"
	12/3-4/08	53	39	8
						.
	"Inheritance rights for gay and lesbian domestic partners"
	12/3-4/08	74	20	6
						.
	"Social Security benefits for gay and lesbian domestic partners"
	12/3-4/08	67	27	6
						.
	"Health insurance and other employee benefits for gay and lesbian domestic partners"
	12/3-4/08	73	23	4
						.
	"Hospital visitation rights for gay and lesbian domestic partners"
	12/3-4/08	86	10	4
						.
	"Gays and lesbians serving openly in the military"
	12/3-4/08	66	29	5
						.
	"Equal rights for gays and lesbians in terms of job opportunities"
	12/3-4/08	87	10	3
						.
	"Equal rights for gays and lesbians in terms of housing"
	12/3-4/08	82	13	5
						.
"Thinking again about legal rights for gay and lesbian couples, which of the following comes CLOSEST to your position on this issue? Do you support FULL marriage rights for same-sex couples, OR support civil unions or partnerships for same-sex couples, BUT NOT full marriage rights, OR do you oppose ANY legal recognition for same-sex couples?"
						.
		Marriage Rights	Civil Unions/ Partnerships	No Legal Recognition	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/3-4/08	31	32	30	7
						.
(If support full marriage rights on preceding question: "Even though you told me you favor full marriage rights for same-sex couples, I need to ask everyone the following question. . . .") "Would you favor or oppose an amendment to the U.S. constitution that would BAN gay marriage IN ALL STATES?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/3-4/08	43	52	5
						.
"Gay marriage can also be an issue at the state level. Suppose YOUR STATE held an election where you could vote for or against an amendment to the state constitution that would ban gay marriage. Would you be more likely to vote 'yes' in favor of OR 'no' against a ban on gay marriage in your state?"
						.
		Yes, Favor Ban	No, Against Ban	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/3-4/08	45	49	6
						.
"Now thinking about marriage more generally: Some people think of marriage mostly as a legal matter and others think of it mostly as a religious matter. Do you personally think of marriage mostly as a legal matter, or mostly as a religious matter?"
						.
		Mostly Legal	Mostly Religious	Both Equally (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/3-4/08	30	41	25	4
						.
"How much, if at all, do your religious beliefs determine your views on the issue of gay marriage? Are your religious beliefs very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important in determining your views on gay marriage?"
						.
		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Too Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/3-4/08	41	21	11	23	4
						.
"Suppose a gay or lesbian couple are legally married and have a child through assisted reproductive technology. If the couple gets divorced, how do you think the law should deal with disputes over child custody? Should the gay partner who is NOT the child's biological parent have custody rights, such as visitation and a role in making decisions about the child's upbringing, or not?"
						.
		Should Have Rights	Should Not Have Rights	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/3-4/08	63	19	18

Time Poll conducted by Abt SRBI. July 31-Aug. 4, 2008. N=808 likely voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Should gay and lesbian couples be allowed to marry, giving them full legal rights of married couples, or not?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	No Answer/ Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/31 - 8/4/08	47	47	7
	6/18-25/08	42	51	7
					.
"Do you favor or oppose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ban same-sex couples from getting married?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	No Answer/ Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/31 - 8/4/08	35	58	7
	6/18-25/08	36	58	6
					.
"What if a presidential candidate took a position on gay marriage that was different from your own? Would you still consider voting for him because of his position on other issues, or would you not vote for him under any circumstances?"
					.
		Still Consider	Not Vote For	No Answer/ Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/31 - 8/4/08	72	22	6
	6/18-25/08	72	22	6

Quinnipiac University Poll. July 8-13, 2008. N=1,783 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 2.3.
					.
"In general, do you support or oppose same-sex marriage?"
					.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/8-13/08	36	55	9
					.
"Do you think states should give legal recognition to same-sex marriages performed in other states or not?"
					.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/8-13/08	44	50	6
					.
"Would you support or oppose a law in your state that would ban same-sex marriage?"
					.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/8-13/08	45	49	6
					.
"Would you support or oppose amending the United States Constitution to ban same-sex marriage?"
					.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/8-13/08	38	56	6
	11/13-19/06	43	53	4
	12/7-12/04	43	53	4
	7/18-22/04	39	55	6
	3/16-22/04	41	51	8

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. June 18-19, 2008. N=896 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 4 (for all registered voters).
						.
"There has been much talk recently about whether states should give gay and lesbian couples the legal right to marry. Which of the following comes CLOSEST to your position on this issue? Do you support FULL marriage rights for same-sex couples, OR support civil unions or partnerships for same-sex couples, BUT NOT full marriage rights, OR do you oppose ANY legal recognition for same-sex couples?"
						.
		Full Marriage Rights	Civil Unions/ Partnerships	No Legal Recognition	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	ALL reg. voters	30	27	37	6
	Republicans	12	28	55	5
	Democrats	42	23	28	7
	Independents	30	33	32	5

Gallup Poll. May 8-11, 2008. N=1,017 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
						.
"As you may know, there has been considerable discussion in the news regarding the rights of homosexual men and women. In general, do you think homosexuals should or should not have equal rights in terms of job opportunities?"
						.
		Should	Should Not	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/8-11/08	89	8	1	1
	5/10-13/07	89	8	1	2
	5/8-11/06	89	9	1	1
	6/17-20/77	56	33	-	11
						.
"Do you feel that homosexuality should be considered an acceptable alternative lifestyle or not?"
						.
		Acceptable	Not Acceptable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/8-11/08	57	40	3
	9/7-8/07	48	46	6
	5/10-13/07	57	39	3
	5/8-11/06	54	41	4
	5/2-5/05	51	45	4
	5/2-4/04	54	42	4
	6/25-28/82	34	51	15
						.
"Do you think marriages between same-sex couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?" N=513, MoE ą 5 (Form A)
						.
		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/8-11/08	40	56	4
	5/10-13/07	46	53	1
	5/8-11/06	42	56	2
						.
"Would you favor or oppose a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as being between a man and a woman, thus barring marriages between gay or lesbian couples?" N=504, MoE ą 5 (Form B)
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/8-11/08	49	48	3
	5/8-11/06	50	47	3
	4/29 - 5/1/05	53	44	3
	3/18-20/05	57	37	6
	7/19-21/04	48	46	6
	5/2-4/04	51	45	4
	3/5-7/04	50	45	5
	2/9-12/04	53	44	3
	2/6-8/04	47	47	6
	7/03	50	45	5
						.
"Thinking about how the gay marriage issue might affect your vote for major offices, would you only vote for a candidate who shares your views on gay marriage, consider a candidate's position on gay marriage as just one of many important factors when voting, or would you not see gay marriage as a major issue?" Options rotated
						.
		Must Share Views	One of Many Factors	Not a Major Issue	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/8-11/08	16	49	33	2
	5/2-4/04	16	46	35	3

ABC News/Facebook poll. Dec. 16-19, 2007. N=1,142 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"