Bad News for Christofascists: Strong Support for Gay Marriage Now Exceeds Strong Opposition

Yet another poll shows that the days of the Christofascists' ability to ban same sex marriage is moving towards its death throes notwithstanding what happened on May 8th in North Carolina's low turn out vote on Amendment One.  Based on the new ABC News/Washington Post poll, the Christianists are slowly but surely losing the war despite winning some battles.  And as aging bigots die off, the pace will likely accelerate.  As will the stridency and hysteria of the professional Christians and the Catholic Church hierarchy as they see their fund raising ability using "the gay agenda" as a boogie man fade away.   The GOP needless to say will continue to pander to the Christofacsists and raging bigots and homophobes like Bryan Fischer, Maggie Gallagher, and Archbishop Timothy Dolan.  Here are highlights from ABC News on the new poll results: 

Strong public support for same-sex marriage exceeds strong opposition by a significant margin for the first time in ABC News/Washington Post polls, and African-Americans have moved more in favor, perhaps taking their lead from Barack Obama on the issue.

Overall, 53 percent of Americans say gay marriage should be legal, steady the past year but up from 36 percent in just 2006. Thirty-nine percent “strongly” support it, while 32 percent are strongly opposed – the first time strong sentiment has tilted positive. Six years ago, by contrast, strong views on the issue were negative by a broad 27-point margin.

Further, this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, finds that support for gay marriage has reached a new high among African-Americans in ABC/Post polls, up from four in 10 in recent surveys to 59 percent now.

Another result shows increasing exposure: Seventy-one percent of Americans now say they have a friend, family member or acquaintance who’s gay, up from 59 percent in 1998. People who know someone who’s gay are 20 points more likely than others to support gay marriage.

Regardless of that shift, Obama’s May 9 announcement of his support for gay marriage shows no measurable impact on political preferences. While more support than oppose his position, 51-41 percent, Americans divide on whether it’s a political plus or minus, with most saying it’s not a major factor in their vote choice.

 

Sharp differences among groups persist. Republicans and conservatives oppose gay marriage by more than 2-1, evangelical white Protestants by more than 3-1. While Democrats support it by more than 2-1, the balance is tipped, as is often the case, by independents: Fifty-eight percent support legalizing gay marriage; 43 percent do so strongly.

Among other groups, support for gay marriage reaches 69 percent among adults under age 30 (with 51 percent “strong” support), compared with just 38 percent of seniors. (Half of seniors are strongly opposed). Support is also 14 points higher among college graduates than among non-graduates, 63 to 49 percent. But it’s the same, 53 percent, among men and women alike.

These results underscore two things: (1) living out and proud does change hearts and minds and (2) the GOP is commiting long term suicide on this issue.