As President Obama and his GOP rival Mitt Romney solidify their positions on gay marriage, a new Gallup poll indicates that a majority of Americans see homosexual relationships as morally acceptable, mirroring an increased acceptance of the legality of same-sex marriages.
Though the 54% of respondents who said they view gay or lesbian relationships as acceptable is a slight 2-point dip from the results of a 2011 Gallup poll, the figure nonetheless marks a steady increase in acceptance since a nadir of 38% in 2002. The number of respondents who said they see homosexual relationships as morally wrong, while increasing by 3 points since 2011, has seen a decline from a high of 55% in 2002.
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Gallup also polled Americans about whether they believe homosexual relationships should be legal, finding that, despite a slight dip since last year, 63% of respondents said they are confident in the legality of such relationships . That number represents decades of increasing support going back to 1977, when public acceptance sat at 43%, and 1986, when support for the legality of homosexual relations dropped to its lowest point, at 32%. In turn, the number of respondents opposing the legality of consensual homosexual relationships has dropped precipitously to 31%.
In addition to the question of legality, Gallup has inquired about the origin of homosexuality since 1977, asking whether it?s a result of an individual?s upbringing or environment, or if it?s a trait inherent from birth. Public opinion has shifted back and forth on the question in the last decade, with 40% currently saying they believe it?s something one is born with and 35% saying they see it as a result of external influences. But those figures mark a sharp change since 1977, when 13% said they saw it as an inherent trait and 56% said they saw it as a result of parenting or one?s environment.
The attitudes between the respondents? demographic divides were predictably split, with non-religious Americans, Democrats, 18- to 34-year-olds and those in the East holding the highest levels of support for the legality of gay relationships and marriage. Those living in the South and age 55 or older had the staunchest opposition to both causes.
The poll arrives as the debate over gay marriage continues after Obama?s declaration of support for the cause, with the issue entering Congress despite the intentions of House Speaker John Boehner, and Newsweek magazine declaring Obama to be ?the first gay president.?
Gallup?s results were based on telephones interviews May 3-6, conducted among a random sample of 1,024 adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
morgan.little@latimes.com
Original source: Poll: Majority of Americans deem same-sex relationships acceptable
Article source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/la-pn-poll-majority-of-americans-deem-samesex-relationships-acceptable-20120514,0,4659018.story
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