1) Do you:
a) support the legalization of same-sex marriage
b) support civil unions but not marriage for same sex couples
c) oppose marrage and civil unions for same sex couples, but oppose an ammendment to the US Constituional outlawing same sex marriage.
d) support an ammendment to the US Constituional outlawing same sex marriage.
2) Do you know, or have you known,
a) 0 gay people
b) at least 1 gay person, but no gay couples
c) at least one gay couple
By "gay couple" I mean two gay or lesbian people living together, but not necessarily married.
Thanks for your replies! I have wanted to see this in the press, but never have so I thought I would ask it myself on Yahoo! Answers.
One more thing, I have heard a fair amount about civil unions in the news, but I do not understand the difference between a civil union, and a marriage in a courthouse. If you know the difference, or have an opinion, I would be very interested!
2007-10-26 05:35:00 · 31 answers · asked by Phineas Bogg 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Thank you all for your replies so far! I will leave the poll open for a couple more days and then post a summary of the responses.
Coy K, I had a question for you. If you believe my poll is contrived, could you tell me what you believe would be a better way to ask people's opinions on this topic, or if you have a chance post a poll question of your own that you do not view as contrived. I am genuinely curious, as I tried to make my poll question as neutral as posible, so I would like to know ways to improve it. Thanks!
2007-10-26 07:00:19 · update #1
Summary of the Gay Marriage Poll Results:
The poll question was asked both in “Poll and Surveys” and in “Law and Ethics”. The results were fairly similar between the two categories, but there a few interesting differences. More people in “Poll and Surveys” than “Law and Ethics” knew at least one gay person (97% compared with 90%), however fewer knew a same-sex couple who lives together (62% compared with 77%). One possible explanation is that the “Poll and Surveys” are younger on average that the “Law and Ethics” people, but this is just a guess that I have no data to justify. Another difference that stood out was that the “Poll and Surveys” supported the legalization of gay marriage by a higher percentage than the “Law and Ethics” (67% compared with 53%).
As for the overall results, out of 69 total respondents (I received a total of 72 replies, but did not feel I could accurately interpret 3 of them – because they said either none of the above or I don’t know).
2007-10-27 18:19:54 · update #2
here are the percentages. Question 1: A (61%), B (13%), C (9%), D (18%). Question 2: A (6%) B (26%) C (68%). I also looked at the conditional probabilities, that is, what was the probability of a certain response on question 1 given a particular response on question 2. Here are the results:
1A given 2A: 50%
1A given 2B: 44%
1A given 2C: 68%
1B given 2A: 0%
1B given 2B: 17%
1B given 2C: 13%
1C given 2A: 25%
1C given 2B: 17%
1C given 2C: 4%
1D given 2A: 25%
1D given 2B: 22%
1D given 2C: 15%
Final thoughts: The number of respondents who supported the legalization of same-sex marriage (61%) was higher than in any of the national polls I have seen. Clearly my poll was nonscientific clearly there is some sort of bias to my poll with respect to national polls. There are many differences between Yahoo! Answerers and the general US population: Yahoo! Answerers are younger, Yahoo! Answerers are more likely to own a computer/use the internet, ...
2007-10-27 18:20:29 · update #3
1-- D
2--C I know many , and they know how I feel about my issue with gay marriage , and why I am against it ..Yet we are still friends , ( amazing isn't it ? )
Marriage wold give them the same rights and legal protections as a Normal Married Couple ..( Yes I said Normal )
A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples with rights, benefits, and responsibilities similar (in some countries, identical) rights and responsibilities to opposite-sex civil marriage.
Many people are critical of civil unions because they say they represent separate status unequal to marriage ("marriage apartheid"). Others are critical because they say civil unions allow same-sex marriage by using a different name.
The first civil unions in the United States were offered by the state of Vermont in 2000. The federal government does not recognize these unions, and under the U.S. Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) of 1996, other U.S. states are not obliged to recognize them. By the end of 2006, Connecticut and New Jersey had also enacted civil union laws; New Hampshire followed in 2007; furthermore, California's domestic partnership law had been expanded to the point that it became practically a civil union law, too. The same might be said from 2007 for domestic partnership in Maine, domestic partnerships in District of Columbia, domestic partnership in Washington, and domestic partnership in Oregon (effective 1 January 2008).
The US Defense of Marriage Act. is as follows
No state (or other political subdivision within the United States) need recognize a marriage between persons of the same sex, even if the marriage was concluded or recognized in another state.
The Federal Government may not recognize same-sex or polygamous marriages for any purpose, even if concluded or recognized by one of the states.
The bill was passed by Congress by a vote of 85-14 in the Senate and a vote of 342-67 in the House of Representatives, and was signed by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996.
Hope this helps
2007-10-26 05:55:47 · answer #1 · answered by Insensitively Honest 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
1C and 2C
Even though I don't believe a constitutional amendment is the appropriate way to control this aberrant behavior, the adherents to this lifestyle have become so vocal about themselves that it may become necessary to protect the sanctity of marriage as we have always known it.
As for civil unions versus marriage, the laws being drafted or already chaptered, make little difference in the rights and privileges betweent the two forms of domestic unions. Thus, it becomes mostly a matter of simantics. You can call a gay union anything you like, just don't call it marriage because it is not. Marriage is the formation of a family unit, the building block of society, the framework in which we raise the next generation. A gay union can never be such a building block as we know it. They can adopt children or have them medically implanted into their lesbian wombs but they can never naturally procreate as is the privilege of married couples. The children raised in such a union will never see life from a normal perspective. The values of life as we were taught them will never have the same meaning as it will for a child raised in a traditional mother/father home. My parents have been together for sixty years and my wife and I have been together for 33 years. My children see what a marriage is supposed to be and the values of life that they are expected to follow. My sons and daughters love their spouses and are committed to having a good family life. This is as it should be.
I apologize for the sermonizing but I couldn't just answer the question without putting some form of context around it.
2007-10-26 06:01:30 · answer #2 · answered by rac 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1) A, 2) C
A civil union is a governmental acknowledgement of a a couple's companionship. A common law marriage would be a civil union. What it means for the couple depends on the state but generally a civil union allows a gay couple to take part in things like a spouse's employment health insurance, community property and other legal aspects of being married.
A civil union denies the couple the spiritual, religous aspects of marriage. It sort of denies the couple that Ward & June Cleaver aspect to their relationship. Civil unions seeks to make the relationship strictly a legality, on paper sort of thing.
Why it bothers people, who knows? I don't give a lot of thought to what goes on inside any of my neighbors homes and I almost never see people engaging in intimate actions out in the public.
There is a same sex couple accross the street from my home and I knew a couple back in the early '70s that lived in Pennslvania.
2007-10-26 05:57:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A.....C. The difference between a civil union and a marriage has to do with the rights and privileges between the two. Like insurance coverage and material ownership (in marriage all assets are owned equally). It's mostly legalities. It's not so much that I really have an opinion one way or the other. It's just that I think we should live and let live. Years ago I married a black man and plenty of people had opinions and of course it was illegal at one time. And all I wanted was to be able to live my life as I chose. So I empathize.
2007-10-26 12:03:20 · answer #4 · answered by tlbrown42000 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am going to get thumbed down for this, but i oppose same sex marriage, civil unions and oppose ever changing this.
No I do not know any gay people but I have my suspicions on a couple of people.
2007-10-26 05:48:57 · answer #5 · answered by swd 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
1. C
I think homosexuality is abnormal and I am against it. BUT people have the right to choose that lifestyle if they so desire. I am not in favor of taking away that right. Just don't give me any BS about being born that way. Life is about making choices. Be proud of the choices you make.
2. B
I know gay people, but can't think of any gay couples off the top of my head. Ha ha, head.
2007-10-26 12:35:03 · answer #6 · answered by Dr D 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1. I guess b). I mean I don't care if you call it marriage or civil union. But they should at least get the legal rights and benefits.
2. c) 1 gay couple
2007-10-26 05:40:33 · answer #7 · answered by Super Tuesday 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
1) A
2) C
And I'm not sure either what the difference between a civil union and a courthouse marriage is either. I would think they'd be the same thing?
2007-10-26 05:49:08 · answer #8 · answered by hlk_cupcake147 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
1a; 2c. I personally think marriage is an outmoded institution and cannot imagine why anyone would want it. And I know more "happy" gay couples than straight couples. As far as my vote on social issues is concerned, I will ALWAYS vote the opposite of the Xian Civic League regardless of my personal feelings. I always vote pro-choice even though I have a nagging suspicion abortion is kiling babies--I guess you have to decide where your real hatred lies. When it's between Xians and killing babies...Well...
2007-10-26 05:45:03 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
1) My answer is (a), so long as it is legalized by the branch of government that truly MAKES laws instead of INTERPRETS them. That is, I do not want gay marriage to be "legalized" by the courts, who did their job wrong in Massachusetts.
2) I am gay, and I have know lots and lots of gay people, including lots of couples, .... so (c).
2007-10-26 05:54:02 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋