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Poll: New York Supports Gay Marriage
By JOE MURRAY, The Bulletin
As the debate surrounding same-sex marriage intensifies across the country, a new poll shows a majority of New Yorkers favoring the state’s Democratic governor’s plan to legalize such unions.
According to the poll released yesterday by the Siena College Research Institute, 53 percent of New Yorkers support redefining marriage to include same-sex couples. Thirty-nine percent opposed such unions.
Last week, Gov. David Paterson, D-N.Y., introduced legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in New York. Under the governor’s proposal, same-sex couples would be granted the same legal rights and opposite-sex couples. Current state law gives same-sex couples the option of entering into domestic partnerships, but the Paterson legislation would make same-sex marriage a fundamental state right.
The legislation, if approved, would mandate interpreting all state laws to include same-sex couples. This would grant same-sex couples the same marriage rights as opposite-sex couples, especially in terms of property ownership, inheritance, health care and insurance coverage.
The move by New York to become the fifth state to recognize same-sex marriage has further intensified the public policy debate, especially within the ranks of the Republican Party. Traditionally, the GOP has opposed same-sex marriage, but a number of Republicans have recently urged the party to support such unions.
Former N.J. Gov. Christine Todd Whitman; John McCain’s former campaign manager Steve Schmidt; and Mr. McCain’s daughter, Meghan, issued statements supporting same-sex marriage over the weekend. Ms. Whitman also called for the GOP to remove the party plank defining marriage as being between one man and one woman.
The party’s marriage plank reads: “Republicans recognize the importance of having in the home a father and a mother who are married. The two-parent family still provides the best environment of stability, discipline, responsibility and character.
“Because our children’s future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage, we call for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it.”
Mr. Paterson, however, said he believes banning civil same-sex marriage on religious grounds blurs the line between separation of church and state and discriminates against same-sex couples.
“People of religious beliefs, many believe that the sacred relationship between a man and woman is the only threshold for marriage. I respect that point of view. However we are living in a society of civil laws — we separate church and state,” Mr. Paterson told CNN’s John King.
“We are not trying in any way to disrespect anyone’s religious belief. We are not trying to, in anyway, make people believe what we believe about the validity about same sex marriage. We are trying to get them to accept that in our society the laws should protect people equally.”
Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, said he believes the governor’s legislation will create a grassroots backlash that will bolster the Republican Party in the next election cycle.
“This will create a grass-roots movement. This is the kind of issue that, in many ways, is somewhat beyond politics,” Mr. Giuliani told The New York Post in an interview published yesterday.
“I think gay marriage will obviously be an issue for any Republican next year because Republicans are either in favor of the position I’m in favor of, civil unions, or in many cases Republicans don’t even favor civil unions.”
Many speculate Mr. Giuliani is considering a run to challenge Mr. Paterson in the next gubernatorial race. And while Mr. Giuliani supports civil unions, the man who has had three wives says redefining marriage goes too far.
“And Democrats, including President Obama and Hillary Clinton, have essentially the same position I have, which is let’s have civil unions but not go so far as to change the definition of marriage,” Mr. Giuliani said.
“And that has to embrace many Democratic voters, if two Democrats like that nationally have the same position essentially that I have.”
But Mr. Giuliani’s assessment of the issue may not reflect New York’s political landscape.
“By a fairly significant margin, voters would like to see New York join with Vermont, Massachusetts, Iowa, and other states in allowing same-sex couples to marry here,” Steven Greenberg, spokesman for the Sienna poll, said. “For women and young voters it’s a resounding ‘yes.’ Men and older voters are more closely divided and more likely to say ‘no.’”
Quinnipiac University also conducted a poll and found 41 percent of New York voters supported the legalization of same-sex marriage with 33 percent saying civil unions should be an option.
Nineteen percent opposed any legal recognition for same-sex couples.
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us
According to the poll released yesterday by the Siena College Research Institute, 53 percent of New Yorkers support redefining marriage to include same-sex couples. Thirty-nine percent opposed such unions.
Last week, Gov. David Paterson, D-N.Y., introduced legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in New York. Under the governor’s proposal, same-sex couples would be granted the same legal rights and opposite-sex couples. Current state law gives same-sex couples the option of entering into domestic partnerships, but the Paterson legislation would make same-sex marriage a fundamental state right.
The legislation, if approved, would mandate interpreting all state laws to include same-sex couples. This would grant same-sex couples the same marriage rights as opposite-sex couples, especially in terms of property ownership, inheritance, health care and insurance coverage.
The move by New York to become the fifth state to recognize same-sex marriage has further intensified the public policy debate, especially within the ranks of the Republican Party. Traditionally, the GOP has opposed same-sex marriage, but a number of Republicans have recently urged the party to support such unions.
Former N.J. Gov. Christine Todd Whitman; John McCain’s former campaign manager Steve Schmidt; and Mr. McCain’s daughter, Meghan, issued statements supporting same-sex marriage over the weekend. Ms. Whitman also called for the GOP to remove the party plank defining marriage as being between one man and one woman.
The party’s marriage plank reads: “Republicans recognize the importance of having in the home a father and a mother who are married. The two-parent family still provides the best environment of stability, discipline, responsibility and character.
“Because our children’s future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage, we call for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it.”
Mr. Paterson, however, said he believes banning civil same-sex marriage on religious grounds blurs the line between separation of church and state and discriminates against same-sex couples.
“People of religious beliefs, many believe that the sacred relationship between a man and woman is the only threshold for marriage. I respect that point of view. However we are living in a society of civil laws — we separate church and state,” Mr. Paterson told CNN’s John King.
“We are not trying in any way to disrespect anyone’s religious belief. We are not trying to, in anyway, make people believe what we believe about the validity about same sex marriage. We are trying to get them to accept that in our society the laws should protect people equally.”
Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, said he believes the governor’s legislation will create a grassroots backlash that will bolster the Republican Party in the next election cycle.
“This will create a grass-roots movement. This is the kind of issue that, in many ways, is somewhat beyond politics,” Mr. Giuliani told The New York Post in an interview published yesterday.
“I think gay marriage will obviously be an issue for any Republican next year because Republicans are either in favor of the position I’m in favor of, civil unions, or in many cases Republicans don’t even favor civil unions.”
Many speculate Mr. Giuliani is considering a run to challenge Mr. Paterson in the next gubernatorial race. And while Mr. Giuliani supports civil unions, the man who has had three wives says redefining marriage goes too far.
“And Democrats, including President Obama and Hillary Clinton, have essentially the same position I have, which is let’s have civil unions but not go so far as to change the definition of marriage,” Mr. Giuliani said.
“And that has to embrace many Democratic voters, if two Democrats like that nationally have the same position essentially that I have.”
But Mr. Giuliani’s assessment of the issue may not reflect New York’s political landscape.
“By a fairly significant margin, voters would like to see New York join with Vermont, Massachusetts, Iowa, and other states in allowing same-sex couples to marry here,” Steven Greenberg, spokesman for the Sienna poll, said. “For women and young voters it’s a resounding ‘yes.’ Men and older voters are more closely divided and more likely to say ‘no.’”
Quinnipiac University also conducted a poll and found 41 percent of New York voters supported the legalization of same-sex marriage with 33 percent saying civil unions should be an option.
Nineteen percent opposed any legal recognition for same-sex couples.
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us
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