AP: New Poll: Half in N.J. Back Gay Unions

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GAY_MARRIAGE_POLL

Nov 6, 11:25 AM EST

New Poll: Half in N.J. Back Gay Unions

U.S. Video

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- While half of New Jersey voters agree with the state Supreme Court that homosexual couples should receive the same rights as heterosexuals, just one in four think gay unions should be called marriages, according to a new poll.

"People in New Jersey are very supportive of equal rights, but the concept of marriage is more complicated," said Mickey Blum, whose firm, Blum & Weprin Associates, performed the telephone survey for The Star-Ledger of Newark.

The poll, conducted Nov. 1-2 and published in the newspaper Monday, questioned 777 registered voters and had a sampling error margin of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Fifty percent support the high court's recent ruling that granted gay couples equal rights but gave the Legislature 180 days to define those rights. Overall, 23 percent of respondents favored allowing gays to marry in New Jersey..

...

[leQ]

1. what a welcome relief, some good news for a change. (nt)

[LeftCoast]

2. Well, a civil union isn't marriage, but it's better than a ban

Looks like we'll be stuck in the separate-but-psuedo-equal state for a while.

[Ian David]

3. The state should get out of the marriage business and just do civil unions for all.

Let the religious organizations perform "marriages."

Let the state perform, record, and regulate "civil unions."

For everyone.

Period.

[independentpiney]

4. That's this New Jerseyans opinion

the state should only be involved recording, regulating and disssolving civil union contracts. Marriage crosses into religious affairs.

[pnwmom]

5. In the long run, that's a good solution.

But in the short run, I doubt that heterosexual couples would accept losing the federal benefits of "marriage" -- and since they are in the vast majority, I don't see this idea catching on till the federal law is changed.

[Chovexani]

6. That's always been my view

Unfortunately the majority of straight people will never go for it.

Civil unions aren't viewed as "real" marriage by a lot of people, it seems, and maybe that's why they seem to have more traction than full marriage equality. I had a discussion about this one time with some married friends of mine, who support civil unions. They about lost their shit when I brought up the idea of civil unions for everyone and leaving "marriage" to religion.

I guess it's not the same, after all. :eyes:

[reprobate]

7. From the earliest times, marriage was a civil contract between families.

It was a means of joining their properties so that the offspring would have more power and property than their parents.

The earliest form of upward mobility.

The religions got involved as a way to control the people, and gain wealth.