SFGate: California Majority Backs Gay Marriage

[Kadie]

CALIFORNIA MAJORITY BACKS GAY MARRIAGE
Field Poll director calls results a milestone
John Wildermuth, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

In a dramatic reversal of decades of public opinion, California voters agree by a slim majority that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, according to a Field Poll released today.

By 51-42 percent, registered voters said they believed same-sex marriage should be legal in California. Only 28 percent favored gay marriage in 1977, when the Field Poll first asked that question, said Mark DiCamillo, the poll's director.

"This is a milestone in California," he said. "You can't downplay the importance of a change in an issue we've been tracking for 30 years."

While opposition to same-sex marriage has been weakening for years in California, supporters have remained a minority. In March 2000, for example, voters overwhelmingly backed Proposition 22, a statute that said the state would recognize only the marriage of a man and a woman. A 2006 Field Poll showed that half the state's voters still disapproved of same-sex marriage.

But the state Supreme Court's decision this month to overturn Prop. 22 might have turned the tide, DiCamillo said.

"There's a certain validation when the state Supreme Court makes a ruling that you can't discriminate when it comes to marriage," he said. "That may have been enough to move some people who were on the fence about same-sex marriage."

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/28/MNOU10U8MB.DTL&tsp=1

[Tesha]

1. Related thread in LBN...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3328198

[gratuitous]

2. The breakdown by age is very telling

Another 20 years, and this won't even be a question anymore. It's another 20 years far too long, but then again, this was a fight picked by the reactionaries about 10 years ago, because it looked like an easy win. And for a while, it was a series of easy victories. Well, the reactionaries are moving into the minority, and we're going to get where we were going all along as far as equal rights. Tough luck, Mr. Hagee, Mr. Robertson. Good thing you shuffled off your mortal coil, Mr. Falwell, because the reality of this would probably kill you. Tinky says "Ta ta."

[Kajsa]

3. This is great news!

Yesterday, Nikki posted a thread regarding
a poll Ahnuld was conducting to garner public
opinion on this ruling.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3347765&mesg_id=3347765

I am so glad to see the support for gay marriage.

It's way overdue.

Thanks for posting this.

:hi:

[nichomachus]

4. Yes -- please help

The religious right is ticked that Schwarzenegger said he won't support a state constitutional amendment in California to ban gay marriage. So they're flooding him with phone calls. The governor's office has an automated system to count such calls. Please add your voice, it's really easy.


Call 1-916-445-2841
Then press 1 (then wait a sec), then 5 (then wait a sec), then 1, then 1.
That's it. If the line is busy, call again.

[nichomachus]

5. It will be interested to see the poll

after they finish their $10 million TV ad campaign -- non -stop ads on the cable channels with horror stories about the "gay agenda."

[LeftCoast]

6. Field Poll has a very good track record in CA

This is great news!

[ccharles000]

7. This is wonderful.