June 26th, 2009
Good news from Texas. A new poll by Texas Lyceum shows 57% of Texans support either civil unions or marriage.
Most Texans don’t oppose same-sex unions, but they’re split in their support for marriage or civil unions. While more than a third (36%) oppose either arrangement, 32% said they would support civil unions and another 25% think same-sex marriages should be permitted. The poll found a distinct partisan difference, with civil unions as the preference of 29% of Democrats, 31% of Independents and 37% of Republicans; same-sex marriage the preferred alternative of 36% of Democrats, 25% of Independents, and 14% of Republicans. Allowing neither of those alternatives was the preference of 29% of Democrats, 35% of Independents, and 43% of Republicans.
In 2005, only 24% of Texans voted against a constitutional amendment that banned both marriage and civil unions. This poll reveals significant change in public attitudes in less than four years.
It is also worth noting that even a majority of Republicans support couple recognition. And Texas Republicans do not have a history of support for gay causes. In 2000 at the Republican National Convention the delegation from Texas made a point of showing contempt for gay Rep. Jim Kolbe during his speech on Trade by bowing their heads and praying while he was speaking.
Let’s hope that support continues to grow until Texans of all political stripe join together in reversing the discrimination they enshrined in their constitution and in providing marriage equality to all of their citizens.
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L. Junius Brutus
June 26th, 2009
I find it hard to believe that this poll is correct. This is in line with the national numbers. Texas ought to be much more conservative. Hell, a poll I saw a few years ago showed that 57% of Texans thought that homosexuality should be a crime.
occono
June 26th, 2009
I think this Poll must have been heavily focused on Austin, Dallas and Houston.
Trent Williams
June 26th, 2009
As a Texan, I too find this poll suspect. While I don’t doubt that there are many fair-minded Texans who would support some form of recognition, my experience has been that the state as a whole is simply not there yet. I’d like to see the internals of the poll…I suspect the sample is flawed.
Lynn David
June 26th, 2009
Sounds more like they polled a Texan gay pride event.
Timothy Kincaid
June 27th, 2009
Trent,
Click the link for information on how the poll was conducted.
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