In news which I know will cause the religious right some consternation, it would seem that the nation is warming up to gay marriage:
And here is something which will really send the religious right into orbit:
However, I still remain cynical. Like I said last night:
. . . we know the religious right works - some overly generous funds from anonymous sources, a couple of hundreds of thousands of glossy pamphlets blanketing a few states talking about how children will turn gay because of marriage equality, a few greased palms to various black ministers who will be more than eager to decry about the "highjacking of the civil rights movement" (you really don't think these ministers are raising hell out because of personal righteous indignation, do you), a few hundred thousand emails filled with homophobic talking points, a few visits to Fox News and then the tide turns.
In other words, we'll see how this poll holds up.
More than half of Americans say it should be legal for gays and lesbians to marry, a first in nearly a decade of polls by ABC News and The Washington Post.
This milestone result caps a dramatic, long-term shift in public attitudes. From a low of 32 percent in a 2004 survey of registered voters, support for gay marriage has grown to 53 percent today. Forty-four percent are opposed, down 18 points from that 2004 survey.
The issue remains divisive; as many adults "strongly" oppose gay marriage as strongly support it, and opposition rises to more than 2-1 among Republicans and conservatives and 3-1 among evangelical white Protestants, a core conservative group. But opposition to gay marriage has weakened in these groups from its levels a few years ago, and support has grown sharply among others – notably, among Catholics, political moderates, people in their 30s and 40s and men.
And here is something which will really send the religious right into orbit:
The poll has an insufficient sample size to evaluate individual racial minority groups reliably. However, support for gay marriage is essentially identical among whites, 53 percent, and nonwhites, 54 percent. That's up by 13 points among whites – and by 20 among nonwhites.
Support is up by a striking 23 points among white Catholics, often a swing group and one that's been ready, in many cases, to disregard church positions on political or social issues.
However, I still remain cynical. Like I said last night:
. . . we know the religious right works - some overly generous funds from anonymous sources, a couple of hundreds of thousands of glossy pamphlets blanketing a few states talking about how children will turn gay because of marriage equality, a few greased palms to various black ministers who will be more than eager to decry about the "highjacking of the civil rights movement" (you really don't think these ministers are raising hell out because of personal righteous indignation, do you), a few hundred thousand emails filled with homophobic talking points, a few visits to Fox News and then the tide turns.
In other words, we'll see how this poll holds up.
Q: What is the single most important factor that moves hetero Americans to support marriage equality?
ReplyDeleteA: Knowing (and respecting, or maybe liking, or even loving) a gay or lesbian person or (even better!) a couple. And seeing them as, "Gosh, they're pretty much like me, and they're certainly no threat to me!"
That's why it's so important to be out. We're winning the war by the simple act of being visible.
Yes, there are still battles to lose (white evangelicals, bought-off black pastors, and Catholic bishops will fight to the bitten end), and many of us will be bloodied in those battles.
But we're winning the war. And we're winning it by demonstrating our basic humanity in our everyday doings with those around us.