A new poll released Friday shows that while the Republican Party is warming up to the idea of openly gay candidates, members are still strongly opposed to same-sex marriage and most would be upset if one of their children came out as gay.
The Washington Post reports:
A new poll from McClatchy and Marist College shows that 68 percent of Republicans say they would be no less likely to support a well-qualified gay candidate, and 59 percent say they prefer that states decide same-sex marriage rather than the federal government — a stance that effectively is allowing such unions to take hold across the country.
At the same time, a strong majority of Republicans still personally oppose same-sex marriage (63 percent), and a similar proportion remains concerned about these issues directly affecting their family. In fact, six in 10 say they would be upset if one of their children were gay. Thirty-seven percent say they would be upset if their child told them that he or she was gay, while 23 percent say they would be "very upset." One-quarter of Republicans say they would not be upset at all.
Three in 10 Democrats and independents said they would be upset.
The Washington Post adds that a 1985 poll for the Los Angeles Times "showed that 89 percent of Americans said they would be upset — including 64 percent being "very upset" — today, 35 percent say they would be upset, and only 12 percent say "very upset."
