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ESPA Releases Statewide Poll on Same-Sex Marriage
New York City, April 19, 2004 – A poll conducted by the Global Strategy Group for Empire State Pride Agenda found that New Yorkers overwhelmingly believe that same-sex couples should have the rights and protections government currently grants opposite-sex couples through marriage. On the question of marriage itself, New Yorkers are split right down the middle.
The poll found that 47% of New Yorkers support marriage for same-sex couples while 46% do not. On questions about providing various legal rights of marriage to same-sex couples, 71% favored doing so through civil unions. Favorable response rates climbed even higher on questions about specific rights, ranging from 74% in favor of providing child custody rights to 85% in favor of hospital visitation rights.
Commenting about the results, Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda Alan Van Capelle said, “New Yorkers agree in overwhelming numbers that same-sex couples and their families should have the same rights and protections government gives to those who marry. This is wonderful news that we will be sharing with our elected leaders in Albany. New Yorkers believe in equal treatment for our families in critical areas like child custody, health, pensions, taxes and inheritance and so should they.”
On marriage, Van Capelle said, “New Yorkers are still very much in the listening and learning stages about marriage for same-sex couples. Many are only now hearing about our families and the daily struggles we face in caring for them. Many are just now understanding that government has made marriage the sole entry point to the hundreds and hundreds of rights and protections they have and often thought lesbian and gay families had as well. With 47% of New Yorkers in favor of marriage we clearly have made a lot of progress and are far ahead of the nation as a whole on this question. But with an almost equal number on the other of the other issue we know we still have a lot of work to do.”
Responses to questions about amending the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage and passing a statewide Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to ban same-sex marriage closely tracked each other. On amending the Constitution, 39% were in favor and 54% were opposed. On the state legislature passing a DOMA bill, 43% were in favor and 51% opposed.
Global Strategy Group is based in New York City. Results were drawn from 600 random digit dialed telephone interviews in March of registered voters across New York State. The margin of error for the overall sample is +/-4.0%.
POLL HIGHLIGHTS
- On issues of importance facing New York State, respondents ranked gay rights/marriage/civil unions last on the list. Of the nine issue categories that received responses, Jobs/Economy was first with 33%. Taxes came in second with 15% and Schools/Education third with 15%. Only 1% of respondents felt marriage for same-sex couples was the single-most important issue facing New York State.
- Civil Unions and domestic partnerships: 71% support allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions or domestic partnerships and 23% oppose.
- Hospital visitation rights: 85% support hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples and 14% oppose.
- Pension Benefits: 80% support and 18% oppose.
- Health Insurance: 81% support and 18% oppose.
- Tax benefits: 79% support and 20% oppose.
- Inheritance rights: 81% support and 17% oppose.
- Medical decision-making: 85% support and 13% oppose.
- Child custody rights: 74% support and 23% oppose.
- Amending the U.S. Constitution to bar marriage between same-sex couples: 39% support and 54% oppose.
- New York Legislature passing a Defense of Marriage Act to bar marriage between same-sex couples: 43% support and 51% oppose
- New York State recognizing marriages between same-sex couples legally conducted in other states: 52% support and 42% oppose.
- Questions about same-sex marriage decided best by courts or legislature: 38% say courts and 38% say legislature.
- Should judges have the right to legalize same-sex marriage: 51% support and 42% oppose.
Founded in 1990, the Empire State Pride Agenda is New York's statewide civil rights organization committed to achieving full equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) New Yorkers and our families. The Pride Agenda fights for these objectives by: educating the public, elected officials and policymakers; building coalitions and mobilizing allies; and, organizing and empowering the LGBT community. Victories include the enactment of statewide sexual orientation non-discrimination and hate crimes laws, the repeal of the consensual sodomy statute, and winning more than $12.5 million in state funds for LGBT health and human services statewide. Other victories include the passage of local non-discrimination measures in Westchester County, Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Buffalo, the enactment of a transgender non-discrimination law in NYC, and the enactment of a series of state laws, regulations, and private relief initiatives that provided equal benefits to LGBT surviving partners of 9/11 victims. With thousands of supporters, the Pride Agenda has offices in NYC and Albany and is the largest statewide LGBT organization in the country.
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