WASHINGTON – Americans for Marriage Equality today released new bipartisan polling from TargetPoint and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (GQRR) which reaffirms the growing support for marriage equality across all demographic groups; shows that marriage equality advocates are winning the fight overall; and demonstrates that Americans increasingly believe the next generation will be better off if marriage equality becomes the law of the land. The results were presented at a kickoff event for Americans for Marriage Equality, a bipartisan coalition formed with the support of the Human Rights Campaign.
One major goal of the survey was to probe Americans’ views about marriage equality as it relates to children and families. Strong majorities believe that gay Americans should be allowed to adopt children, are equally capable parents, and that it would help children of gay couples if their parents were allowed to marry:
- 63% of Americans favor allowing same sex couples to adopt children;
- 71% favor requiring the feds to provide same sex couples with all the same rights as straight marriage couples in terms of taxes and other benefits;
- 52% agree that allowing SSM helps children of same sex couples by giving them the same legal rights and sense of family as other families in their community; and
- 58% agree that children raised by same sex couples do as well in terms of education, emotional stability and long term outcomes as children raised by a mother and father.
American voters responded with even stronger support when asked to imagine what life would be like for gay youth ten years from now if marriage was legal in all 50 states. Fully 8 in 10 voters said there would be less discrimination, it would be easier to grow up gay, and children in families headed by gay parents would have more protections. This finding establishes the growing perception among American voters across all demographics that marriage equality is about equality overall.
HRC Vice President for Communications Fred Sainz said, “We are at an exciting turning point for our country. Following victories for equality at the Supreme Court last June, there are now nearly 60 marriage equality cases around the country – and 90 percent of those cases were filed after those landmark decisions in Perry and Windsor. The American people have shown that they are ready for full equality for all. As we look back at the anniversaries of the oral arguments in Perry and Windsor, I know that there is still work to be done, but I am excited for where the fight is headed. We will not stop until each and every American in all 50 states enjoys equal justice under the law.”
Bipartisan pollsters Alex Lundry of Target Point, formerly Director of Data Science for Gov. Mitt Romney, and Anna Greenberg of GQRR led the survey.
Alex Lundry said, “This is about much more than marriage – these numbers point toward a wide spread and pervasive acceptance of gay and lesbians across a variety of issues related to the family. And, when people imagine a future with national marriage equality, the picture is far from calamitous: overwhelming majorities do not believe that more kids will grow up gay, and do not believe there will be more divorce among straight couples. Moreover, they believe it will mean kids with gay parents will have more legal and social protections and that these same kids will be less likely to be bullied. They believe it will be easier to grow up gay and that there will be less prejudice against gay people.”
The poll also reaffirmed strong support nationwide for marriage equality, particularly among young Americans: 55 percent of voters support marriage equality, including 75 percent of millenials.
For the full the poll findings, click here.
