Public oppose constitutional gay marriage ban
Polling recently conducted by Peter Hart Research Associations shows the Federal Marriage Amendment, scheduled for a Senate vote the week of June 5, ranks dead last for voters on a list of priorities on which they want Congress focusing and that voters have strong concerns about changing the Constitution.
Commissioned by the Human Rights Campaign, the polling of 802 nationwide voters also shows strong opposition to changing the Constitution among independent, senior and Catholic voters.
“Voters want Congress focused on fixing America’s challenges, not creating more,” said Human Rights Campaign political director Samantha Smoot. “The numbers show that Americans want Congress working on affordable health care, the ongoing war in Iraq and passing new ethics and lobbying laws, not changing the Constitution. Senators and representatives should take these numbers as a sign that this political ploy will backfire at the polls.”
“With key voting blocs opposed to the Federal Marriage Amendment, politicians would do better at the polls by focusing on the issues that matter to the electorate,” said Jay Campbell, a senior analyst at Peter Hart Research Associates. “Over the years, numbers have gone up when it comes to support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans. The Federal Marriage Amendment fight is looking more and more similar to the Terri Schiavo case, an unwise political manoeuvre.”
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