#  New Pew Poll: Dramatic Shift Among Democrats in Support of Marriage Equality

     Details    Jacob Combs   ![logo](https://mail.citywatchla.com//templates/ja_teline_v/images/logo.png)         August 02 2012       [ARCHIVE](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive)   - [  Previous Article **New Look at June 6 California Primary: GOP Gained on Democrats** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3550:new-look-at-june-6-california-primary-gop-gained-on-democrats&catid=16)
- [  Next Article **Shocker: Mexico Dissolves Its FBI and Moves to Legalize Drugs** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3552:shocker-mexico-dissolves-its-fbi-and-moves-to-legalize-drugs&catid=16)

  ###### Typography

- [](# "Smaller Font")  ****Smaller** **Small** **Medium** **Big** **Bigger****  [](# "Bigger Font")
- [](# "Previous Font Style")  ****Default** **Helvetica** **Segoe** **Georgia** **Times****  [](# "Next Font Style")

- [ Reading Mode](# "Reading Mode")

> <a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a>[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
>
> ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2012/cw1062i.png)CIVIL RIGHTS - Polls on marriage equality often give a narrow, snapshot view of public opinion, capturing a moment in time but displaying remarkable variation between companies and universities based on methodology and sample composition.

 [**A new poll out from the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life**](http://www.pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Two-Thirds-of-Democrats-Now-Support-Gay-Marriage.aspx), however, compares the results of a brand new July 2012 survey with similar surveys from 2004 and 2008 and demonstrates a marked increase in support for marriage equality, especially among Democrats.
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
([**See also: “Prop 8 Supporters Turn to Supremes for Help … and What That Means” – Scottie Thomaston**](http://www.prop8trialtracker.com/2012/07/31/breaking-prop-8-proponents-ask-supreme-court-to-review-case/))
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the July survey, Pew found that the American public at large favors marriage equality by a 48-44 percent split, an increase of nine percent in support since 2008 and 17 percent in the last eight years.

The most dramatic cause of that shift, though, has been an incredible increase in support amongst Democrats, who favor equal marriage rights by a huge margin of 65-29 percent. Those numbers represent a 10-point increase since 2008 and a 15-point increase since 2004. Support amongst independents has also risen by 7 points since 2004, with 51 percent of the July respondents favoring marriage equality and 40 percent opposed.

Support amongst Republicans has shown the smallest increase, just 5 percent in the last eight years.

Republicans surveyed by Pew overwhelmingly opposed marriage equality, by a 70-24 percent margin. Perhaps the most significant data point in Pew’s new poll is the gap in support between Democrats and Republicans, which rose from 23 percent in 2004 to 41 percent this July.

Clearly, on this issue, the parties are truly talking past one another because they have moved to such differing opinions on the issue.

In addition, Pew found that 63 percent of respondents born after 1980 support equal marriage rights for gays and lesbian.

As this new Pew poll demonstrates, marriage equality continues to be a winning political issue, with support increasing dramatically across a wide swath of the American public.

But our community still has a lot of outreach to do amongst Republicans in order to show them that supporting equal marriage rights can be a conservative and fundamentally pro-family move.

That won’t be an easy task, of course. But it’s something that we will simply have to strive for.
 *(Jacob Combs is a contributor at Courage Campaign Institute's [**Prop8TrialTracker.com**](http://Prop8TrialTracker.com), where this piece was cross-posted.)* –cw

CityWatch
Vol 10 Issue 62
Pub: Aug 3, 2012

  - [  Previous Article **New Look at June 6 California Primary: GOP Gained on Democrats** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3550:new-look-at-june-6-california-primary-gop-gained-on-democrats&catid=16)
- [  Next Article **Shocker: Mexico Dissolves Its FBI and Moves to Legalize Drugs** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3552:shocker-mexico-dissolves-its-fbi-and-moves-to-legalize-drugs&catid=16)
<div data-id="1" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-emailform eb-1 eboxContentLocker"
	data-options='{"trigger":"onPageLoad","trigger_selector":"","delay":3000,"early_trigger":true,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":1,"reverse_scroll_close":true,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":10000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"slideInDown","animation_close":"fadeOutDown","animation_duration":400,"disable_page_scroll":true,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #1 - Global Email Signup Form","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog eb-formVer" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog1" aria-label="dialog1">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<form action="https://citywatchla.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=34d69f33624fd058ee9b56516&amp;id=4bfa422f51&amp;f_id=00d6c2e1f0" class="eb" method="post" id="mcform-1" name="mcform-1" target="_blank">
			<div class="eb-form-header"><p><img src="/images/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png" alt="be a city watcher" width="350" height="97" loading="lazy" data-path="local-images:/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png"></p>
<p>Sign up to receive our special e-news blasts on Monday and Thursday evenings!</p></div>
	
					<div class="eb-field-row">

			
			
			
			<input class="eb-input" type="email" name="EMAIL"  placeholder="Email address"  id="EMAIL" value="" required>

			
		</div>
										
	<div class="eb-footer">
    	<button class="eb-btn" type="submit" name="subscribe" style="background-color:rgba(93, 183, 93, 1);color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)">
    		Sign up    	</button>
    </div>
</form>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>
<div data-id="3" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-yesno eb-3 "
	data-options='{"trigger":"onScrollDepth","trigger_selector":"","delay":0,"early_trigger":false,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":2,"reverse_scroll_close":false,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":1000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"fadeInUp","animation_close":"fadeOut","animation_duration":300,"disable_page_scroll":false,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #3 - Yes \/ No Donation Popup Box","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog " role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog3" aria-label="dialog3">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<div class="ebox-yes-no">
	<div class="ebox-yn-text">
		
		
		<div class="ebox-yn-headline" style="font-size:22px;color:#888888">
			<p>If you only give once a month, would you consider giving to CityWatch?</p>
<p>Your support fuels our mission to promote and facilitate civic engagement and neighborhood empowerment, and to hold area government and its politicians accountable.</p>
<p>Would you like to help? Even if you can only give $5, it will make a difference.</p>		</div>
			</div>
	
	<div class="ebox-ys-buttons" style="font-size: 16px;">
		
<a
					data-ebox-prevent="0"
		data-ebox-cmd="close"
				target="_self"
		href="https://www.citywatchla.com/donate"
		rel="noopener"
	
	
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#2ec664;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Yes
	</a>
<a
	
	
			data-ebox-cmd="close"
		href="#"
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#ef2345;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Not Right Now
	</a>	</div>

	</div>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>