Well of course a poll from the Human Rights Campaign will find the slimmest majority of Americans possible support the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. Some 51 percent of HRC’s respondents, which are not in any way biased, disapprove of DOMA and 54 percent say they disapprove of the House’s defense of it; 34 percent support the law.
rf
It seems to me that the best way to do these polls is to have two polling companies, one right and one left (or two in the middle) or whatever do them simultaneously. So there’s less ammo to call the poll biased. Otherwise, who is going to listen to a poll sponsored by the HRC?
The numbers are swinging in our favor and way ahead of the government’s actions. Interracial marriage support didn’t go over 50% until the 1990s–that surprises a lot of people but Gallup surveys it every year. Support for interracial marriage was at about 30% in 1967 when the Supreme Court finally struck down all bans. And states had been dismantling their interracial marriage bans since the 1940s. So we are way ahead on public opinion vs. where the states and Supreme Court are on marriage equality for gays and lesbians.
justiceontherocks
No one would believe HRC if they said the sun came up in the east.
sweetbrandigirl2004
I’m Not trusting HRC. They are slimy little alien snakes with bellies full of HRC Koolaide they are beamed down from the Mothership. They slitter their way into every corner of the LGBT community and into Washington just so they can talk out both sides of their mouths, their intent is job security upon the gust of equality for all. They are the biggest stumbling block facing the LGBT community.
The sane Francis
This poll is probably biased, however, according to pretty much all polls done on a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT/DOMA banning same-sex marriage, it is not accepted by the masses. A lot of people who say they don’t want SSM then have the attitude they don’t want it banned federally. I understand that argument, but it is still hypocritical.
Riker
@The sane Francis: Lots of people don’t personally support gay marriage, but feel that it is okay for other states to choose to do so. Its a state’s rights issue, not hypocritical.
The sane Francis
The hypocrisy is not wanting it officially banned, however doing nothing when it is banned or actively supporting banning it. You either want it banned or you don’t want it banned. That halfway argument, which Obama among others hold, is bullshit. One is for marriage equality, or they are against marriage equality.
D Smith
@Riker: since when did states rights supersede human rights?
Cam
The funny thing is, with DOMA, the Westboro Baptist Church probably helped our cause much more than HRC ever has.
People get very put off when they see the real true ugly face of bigotry. So while HRC is going around apologiszing for us being gay, Westboro is putting such a hidious mask on anti-gay folks that I think many people are thinking “Well I’m not like THEM!”
And it really shows that we are the victims of discrimination, which kills the Mormon and Evangelicals aregument that we are trying to take away THEIR rights.
Thanks Fred!
Harbo
Same-sex marriage will never become a reality if states are given the opportunity to vote on it. It will have to be court-ordered. If equality was left up to the individual states we’d still have a ban on inter-racial marriage and black children would still be going to “separate-but-equal” schools. Look what Iowa is trying to do now! Some people simply do not believe in equality across the board. They have to be forced into it.
The sane Francis
I agree with you Harbo, about the situation we currently face in America today. I’m not too certain that would be true 10 years down the line. But our biggest issue as a community is that there are clear cut groups who are for us, and who are against us, and while we have made a lot of progress, most of that progress has been with people who have the characteristics of the people who tend to support us, and we haven’t made much progress with the people who tend to hate us. It would take strong gains in the conservative movement in general, with religious fundamentalists, and in traditionally masculine fields and with men in general to assure full equality on ballot votes. We have the young vote way on our side, women tend to vote for us, social/religious liberals, but the people who are in control of this country tend to be middle-aged and older, religious, socially moderate at the most. It’s going to take time to change.