As Obama is now the first sitting President to not only publicly endorse marriage equality for same-sex couples, but also to applaud progress on gay civil rights in an inaugural address, he should be confident knowing that he has the backing of most of the American public. According to a recent VeraQuest omnibus survey, throughout the United States, most adults agree that same-sex couples should have the right to marry – just as opposite-sex couples do. It might not be an overwhelming or loud majority, but it’s a majority nonetheless (64%).
In fact, 57% of the public believes that same-sex couples should have ALL the rights that opposite-sex couples do.
And, here’s where marriage-equality advocates have a point. Civil unions – while perhaps a step in the right direction for same-sex couples – are not regarded to be the same as marriage. Not even that similar really – because nearly half or more of Americans believe that even if you are in a committed civil union or domestic partnership, you still shouldn’t be able to:
…. the way your opposite-sex married counterparts do. So the only way that you can actually achieve those rights is through a legally-binding, God- or civil-servant- approved marriage.
And then guess what – just like your opposite-sex counterparts, you also earn the right to divorce.
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