Fox News Poll: Only 37% Believe In Gay Nups
Take these numbers and multiply them by what you know of Fox News:
According to a Fox News poll released Wednesday, 37 percent of voters believe gays and lesbians should be allowed to get married legally. While that’s unchanged from 2010, when the question was most recently asked, it’s nearly double the 20 percent who felt that way in March 2004, the first time it was asked.
On the other hand, the poll finds 25 percent think there should be no legal recognition given to gay and lesbian relationships, down from 28 percent in 2010 and a high of 40 percent in 2004.The remaining one third (33 percent) think same-sex couples should be allowed a legal partnership similar to but not called marriage. While that number has bounced around a bit over the years, 33 percent also favored this middle-ground position in 2004.
But let us all remember that polls are capricious and often wrong.
The inclusion of the civil union choice may help show the level of core support vs number of people on the fence, but it means nothing as far as telling what the outcome of a vote will be. When you vote you have two choices, yes or no on marriage equality, that how the poll should have been worded. That said, I think this poll is very positive for gay rights: marriage equality gets largest percentage of the 3 choices and 70% support some recognition. The negative is that we haven't seen much improvement since 2010. However other polls that only address marriage have shown improvement which tells me that the civil union supporters are becoming more likely to support marriage equality when forced to make a choice. This poll is not bad news for us.
Posted by: Ken | May 16, 2012 11:59:56 PM
TJ, I congratulate you on a 25 year relationship/union. Many straight people, myself included, haven't been that lucky.
It's this reality that is starting to change minds on the marriage equality issue. Or at least makes us WANT to have a change of mind. And yes, I'm still trying to find the evidence I need to come onboard with this change. I hear that the sociologist Charles Murray is now a marriage equality supporter. He's a person who generally takes my view of things culturally, so I'm going to look into the reasons for his change of heart.
Posted by: mary | May 17, 2012 12:06:07 AM
oh yeah and in 1936 38% of munich citizens believed that jews were controlling the economy. and 42% believed they should have their property confiscated. etc etc blah blah. (i made up these facts just to show the frivolity of a poll)
There is no fight to be won here unless the masses are convinced we are not subhuman. or the state orders that we are equal.
Either way its going to be a long time before anyone gay has equal rights in the US. Im sorry. but I am just very disheartened by my straight brothers. Can they be so blind to think we chose to be gay? Or is it they know we didnt choose, but rather. they believe, we, as a whole, are somehow unworthy of humanity. Like a leper or a cripple used to be treated.
Like we are cursed, from birth? Frankly we wont win this fight until we show some balls and really protest like we did after prop 8. Do we even have it in us to fight?
Posted by: stevenelliot | May 17, 2012 1:05:02 AM
Fox can pull my Pole pole. Having one's equality debated in a poll is INSULTING, our Constitution already guarantees my equality, it simply isn't being recognized. End of story.
Posted by: Johnson | May 17, 2012 1:10:48 AM
MARY (AKA Lucy): Not falling for the "looking for evidence" claptrap. Because this Charlie Brown has tried to play your game, tried to kick the football, and wound up with the bad back.
There will never be evidence enough, because those opposed will look for evidence confirming their views, and ignore disconfirming views. Which is why you repeatedly say that this is an emotional issue and yet, when (questionably) moved by my truth, fall back on the evidence paradigm, even though plenty of peer-reviewed evidence exists and supports my reality.
I'm a decent, intelligent, sentinent, honorable, and worthy human being. These words also describe not only my commitment to my relationship, but the relationship itself.
It is what it is, MARY.
Posted by: TJ | May 17, 2012 1:28:12 AM
TJ, I'm sorry that you still think I'm playing some kind of game with you. I was trying to be supportive. I wasn't trying to "bait" you into coming up with a pro-marrigae equality argument that I would then shoot down.
As for the emotion vs. reason issue, you may be confusing two different things. I do say that most who oppose marriage equality are operating on emotions, and are likely to be hostile if pressed on marriage equality. But I ask for reasons to support SSM because I personally am deciding the issue on the basis of reason (or TRYING to) as I'm already pro-gay emotionally.
Anyone could see that I can barely keep myself from completely switching sides on the gay rights issue. I'm at the point where I feel more comfortable on Towleroad than I do on Free Republic.
Posted by: mary | May 17, 2012 1:59:54 AM
Fox and MSNBC are party propaganda outlets and are quicky becomeing less and less connected to reality.
The spinners are spinning out of control.
Posted by: Bill Perdue | May 17, 2012 2:28:08 AM
The only thing I care about hearing from the liars at Faux News is that their show has been cancelled.
Posted by: darkmoonman | May 17, 2012 2:33:20 AM
Hey, i just wanted to thank those in lgbt community who pushed Obama on the gay marriage issue. As it looks now, we are going to lose and the progress we have made is gonna be flushed. Maybe i am wrong but thanks for being so whiny, bitchy and clueless as usual. You have gambled far too much this time.
Posted by: Michael | May 17, 2012 2:36:10 AM
Well, the recent public vote in North Carolina seems to back these numbers up. Maybe its the liberal press that you should be distrusting. The liberal press had Amendment One being a toss-up. We saw how accurate that was.
Posted by: dave | May 17, 2012 2:51:20 AM
Oh MICHAEL, I have to say that I also have serious doubts that as a demographic we have been wise to push Obama so far. And "we" have been exceedingly unwise to make a public spectacle of ourselves in Gay Pride parades and in so many other places, or to allow ourselves to be portrayed as effete clowns in endless television productions. It is only the dignified presentation of our loves and lives that has ever won support among the majority. Too many gay people are too much fools, way too much.
Posted by: UFFDA | May 17, 2012 2:51:37 AM
MARY - its late, and this icky gay is exhausted from trying to avoid putting a beloved dog down. Yeah, a real fellow human being, with real problems.
What I feel you don't get is my real humanity, my real and valid humanity, despite its being different in some ways from your own.
I don't know that you bait. I do feel that you dont get how much you hurt with your back--handed help.
Posted by: TJ | May 17, 2012 2:54:08 AM
Another fairytale from Fox - the least reputable source of news in the world, and owned by the a man who is not fit to run a company.
Posted by: Tom Stoppard | May 17, 2012 3:58:14 AM
Go back 40 years to a place where FOX might have existed:
FOX NEW POLL: ONLY 37% BELIEVE IN INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE
Posted by: Todd | May 17, 2012 7:15:11 AM
MARY - What a tempest in a teapot. It's not really interesting whether or not you're on our side, lots of people are, lots of people aren't. Big deal. People who post as if their feelings are actually at real risk because of your position are asking for it. You know perfectly well that you should change -so do so- and they should just go out and cut some more firewood. TJ sounds like he has good reasons to be happy and might do best just paying attentiion to the good things his life has to offer.
Marriage equality is unmistakably on the horizon - nice of course - but it may not happen soon. Boo hoo. Posting here as if your heart is going to break over the issue by dawn tomorow tells me you[e either bored or haven't got much to do.
This is merely an entertaining break for a lot of us who like to express ourselves, complain, get into petty dramas and break up the day - all perfectly commonplace reasons. As for complainers generally, they can't be made happy so ignore them. The art of this site is who to stop reading.
Posted by: UFFDA | May 17, 2012 8:41:42 AM
"the art of this site is who to stop reading" - Good point, UFFDA. Consider it advice taken. But won't you miss your petty entertainment when people no longer pay attention to you?
Posted by: TJ | May 17, 2012 11:19:12 AM
A perfctly good response TJ. I'm not invested in anyone reading what I have to say but I'm still going for the entertainment.
Posted by: UFFDA | May 17, 2012 12:00:03 PM
Considering that marriage equality lost in every state, usually overwhelmingly, in which it was put up to the popular vote, I'm inclined to believe that the Fox poll results are a more accurate representation of how the citizens of the U.S. actually feel about the issue.
Posted by: BO | May 17, 2012 1:40:35 PM
I agree with BO that there is still no national majority for marriage equality. But there will be if we play our cards right. And notice I said "we." UFFDA, no need to defend me anymore, although I appreciate the support. I spent part of today evolving and donating to pro-marriage equality groups.
Posted by: mary | May 17, 2012 9:18:55 PM
THE SEVENTEEN-PERCENT HIKE FROM 2004 TO 2010 IS PROBABLY BASED ON THE FACT MORE CONSERVATIVES HAVE REALIZED THEY HAVE HOMOSEXUAL RELATIVES AND WANT TO SHOW COMPASSION. HOWEVER, THE THIRTY-SEVEN PERCENT FAVORABILITY INDICATES THESE COMPASSIONATE PEOPLE STILL WILL NOT ALLOW SENTIMENTAL FEELINGS TO "TRUMP" BASIC VALUES. Fox News HAS A CORRECT "PULSE" OF AMERICA ON HOMOSEXUALITY. [I hope you are paying attention, Congressional conservatives - the public is on your side. DO THE RIGHT THING...WE VOTED YOU IN...WE CAN VOTE YOU OUT!].
CHRISTOPHER ALLEN HORTON
Posted by: CHRISTOPHER ALLEN HORTON | May 30, 2012 8:33:50 AM
"JACKFKNTWIST" (16 MAY; 7:18:01 PM),
I ASSUME YOU ARE AN INTELLIGENT MALE. I ALSO ASSUME YOU ARE CAUCASIAN. I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU WANT Hilary TO BE PRESIDENT FOR EIGHT YEARS. NOW, I KNOW THE UNITED STATES IS DOOMED IF CAUCASIAN MALES NO LONGER BELIEVE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS A "WHITE MAN'S COUNTRY." WOW, I DID NOT REALIZE THE IMPACT OF HIP-HOP CULTURE WAS SO STRONG FOR CAUCASIAN MALES. I MUST REALLY BE OLD. WELL, I GUESS WE WILL START SEEING PARTIAL-NEGROES AND FEMALES ON OUR CURRENCY. [Move over fellas on Mount Rushmore: some "atypical" faces are coming!].
CHRISTOPHER ALLEN HORTON
Posted by: CHRISTOPHER ALLEN HORTON | May 30, 2012 8:54:11 AM