It’s become a familiar pattern: support for marriage equality continues to rise, and support by Catholics is higher than for other religious groups, and higher than for the population at large.
The results of a Siena College state poll released this week show that 58% of New Yorkers now favour same-sex marriage, including 59% of Catholics. Only 35% of New York Catholics are against. Among all the demographics broken out in the published cross-tabs, only conservatives , non-union households and Protestants (combining Mainline and Evangelical denominations) are against by a margin of 5% or more. Even Republicans and over 55′s are only very narrowly against – Republicans by 3%, and over 55′s by just 1%.
Reports elsewhere on this poll have made much of the observation that this result, with 58% in favour is the highest yet, in any state poll. The previous poll, by Quinnipiac in January, showed support at 56% of all New Yorkers, and 52% of NY Catholics – less than the state as a whole, but more than Protestants).
This should be treated with caution: previous results were by different pollsters, using slightly different methodology and wording. It is not valid to make simple comparisons between surveys with different methods. We should certainly NOT claim that Catholic support has leapt from 52% to 59% in just 3 months. ( I have tried to find an earlier survey on same-sex marriage by the same outfit, but without success). Nevertheless, this result does add to the wealth of evidence we now have: opposition to gay marriage is no longer a vote winner, except in the most conservative districts. Instead, same-sex marriage is becoming a wedge issue – to divide the GOP!
Related Posts at QTC
- 10 Years of Gay Marriage
- New York Catholics Support Gay Marriage
- ABC – WaPo Poll Confirms, Yet Again: Catholics (Increasingly) Support Gay Marriage
- Queer Families: A Personal, Catholic Case For Gay Marriage
Related articles elsewhere
- Responding to Bishop Tobin’s Remarks on Gay Marriage (thewildreed.blogspot.com)
- A Celebration of Faith and Family; A Call for Compassion and Fairness (thewildreed.blogspot.com)
- An Anti-Gay Marriage Crusader on His Conversion (thedailybeast.com)
- Law & Order SVU Star Christopher Meloni Supports Gay Marriage (therainbowpost.com)
