A majority of Americans say they don’t want laws in their states that would legalize same-sex marriages, according to a poll taken after the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling in favor of such marriages.
The Massachusetts high court, in an advisory opinion, said Wednesday that gays are entitled to nothing less than marriage and that civil unions will not suffice. The opinion could set the stage for the nation’s first legally sanctioned same-sex weddings by the spring.
In polling conducted by the National Annenberg Election Survey, people said by a nearly 2-1 margin–60 percent to 31 percent–that they oppose any similar law legalizing same-sex marriage in their states.
Still, they were cool to the idea of a federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages.
In the poll, 49 percent of those polled were opposed to such an amendment, while 42 percent favored it.
The White House is still reviewing the issue, President Bush’s spokesman said Monday. Some conservative groups have been strongly encouraging the president to get involved.
“If activist judges continue to try to redefine marriage, without regard to the voice of the people, then the only alternative will be a constitutional process,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
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Compiled from RedEye news services and edited by Lara Weber (lweber@tribune.com) and Drew Sottardi (dsottardi@tribune.com)
