Same-sex marriage (Demographic Patterns)

Homosexual couples should have the right to marry one another.. Results weighted by WTCOMB (General Social Survey 2008 Cross-Section and Panel Combined)

Same-sex marriage by Age

	18-29 years old	30-44 years old	45-59 years old	60-74 years old	75 years and old	Missing	TOTAL
Strongly agree	25.2% 125	16.5% 105	15.4% 104	8.7% 34	5.9% 11	2	15.9% 379
Agree	26.6% 132	27.1% 172	18.6% 126	18.9% 74	12.9% 24	3	22.1% 528
Neither agree nor disagree	13.9% 69	15.0% 95	16.0% 108	11.0% 43	9.7% 18	1	14.0% 333
Disagree	9.5% 47	13.9% 88	18.0% 122	18.1% 71	23.7% 44	2	15.6% 372
Strongly disagree	23.9% 119	27.4% 174	31.4% 212	42.1% 165	45.7% 85	8	31.6% 755
Can't choose	1.0% 5	0.2% 1	0.4% 3	1.3% 5	2.2% 4	1	0.8% 18
No answer	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.1% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0	0.0% 1
Missing	243	324	334	181	64	0	1146
TOTAL	100.0% 497	100.0% 635	100.0% 676	100.0% 392	100.0% 186	17	2386

Same-sex marriage by Sex

	Male	Female	TOTAL
Strongly agree	12.8% 138	18.4% 243	15.9% 381
Agree	22.1% 239	22.1% 292	22.1% 531
Neither agree nor disagree	14.7% 159	13.2% 174	13.9% 333
Disagree	15.3% 165	15.8% 209	15.6% 374
Strongly disagree	34.3% 370	29.7% 393	31.8% 763
Can't choose	0.7% 8	0.8% 11	0.8% 19
No answer	0.1% 1	0.1% 1	0.1% 2
Missing	536	620	1156
TOTAL	100.0% 1080	100.0% 1323	2403

Same-sex marriage by Region

	Northeast	Midwest	South	West	TOTAL
Strongly agree	22.1% 89	17.2% 84	8.6% 75	21.1% 134	15.9% 382
Agree	23.4% 94	26.0% 127	17.9% 157	23.8% 151	22.0% 529
Neither agree nor disagree	14.4% 58	12.3% 60	15.3% 134	13.1% 83	14.0% 335
Disagree	13.4% 54	16.4% 80	18.3% 160	12.6% 80	15.6% 374
Strongly disagree	24.1% 97	27.8% 136	39.6% 347	28.7% 182	31.7% 762
Can't choose	2.5% 10	0.2% 1	0.3% 3	0.6% 4	0.7% 18
No answer	0.0% 0	0.2% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 1
Missing	203	270	431	251	1155
TOTAL	100.0% 402	100.0% 489	100.0% 876	100.0% 634	2401

Same-sex marriage by Political ideology

	Liberal	Moderate	Conservative	Missing	TOTAL
Strongly agree	31.3% 197	13.9% 125	6.6% 52	6	16.2% 374
Agree	32.8% 206	23.7% 213	12.5% 98	14	22.4% 517
Neither agree nor disagree	12.1% 76	15.1% 136	13.5% 106	15	13.8% 318
Disagree	10.0% 63	16.7% 150	18.5% 145	16	15.5% 358
Strongly disagree	13.2% 83	29.8% 268	48.2% 378	34	31.5% 729
Can't choose	0.6% 4	0.7% 6	0.5% 4	5	0.6% 14
No answer	0.0% 0	0.1% 1	0.1% 1	0	0.1% 2
Missing	303	416	402	0	1121
TOTAL	100.0% 629	100.0% 899	100.0% 784	90	2312

Same-sex marriage by Religion

	Protestant	Catholic	Jewish	None	Other	Missing	TOTAL
Strongly agree	11.1% 133	13.8% 83	35.3% 12	27.7% 108	25.4% 43	1	15.8% 379
Agree	16.0% 191	26.5% 160	26.5% 9	34.1% 133	21.9% 37	0	22.2% 530
Neither agree nor disagree	11.9% 142	18.6% 112	17.6% 6	13.3% 52	12.4% 21	0	13.9% 333
Disagree	17.5% 209	16.6% 100	14.7% 5	7.7% 30	17.2% 29	2	15.6% 373
Strongly disagree	43.3% 518	22.4% 135	5.9% 2	16.7% 65	22.5% 38	4	31.7% 758
Can't choose	0.2% 2	2.2% 13	0.0% 0	0.5% 2	0.6% 1	0	0.8% 18
No answer	0.1% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0	0.0% 1
Missing	558	302	30	190	69	0	1149
TOTAL	100.0% 1196	100.0% 603	100.0% 34	100.0% 390	100.0% 169	7	2392

Same-sex marriage by Race

	White	Black	Other	TOTAL
Strongly agree	17.4% 325	7.4% 23	14.3% 33	15.9% 381
Agree	22.5% 419	16.2% 50	26.4% 61	22.1% 530
Neither agree nor disagree	14.1% 262	13.6% 42	13.0% 30	13.9% 334
Disagree	13.9% 259	22.7% 70	19.5% 45	15.6% 374
Strongly disagree	31.5% 586	39.2% 121	24.2% 56	31.8% 763
Can't choose	0.5% 10	1.0% 3	2.6% 6	0.8% 19
No answer	0.1% 2	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.1% 2
Missing	912	137	107	1156
TOTAL	100.0% 1863	100.0% 309	100.0% 231	2403

Same-sex marriage by Education

	Left high school	High school	Junior college	Bachelor	Graduate	Missing	TOTAL
Strongly agree	11.3% 36	13.4% 166	20.5% 38	19.7% 83	24.8% 58	0	15.9% 381
Agree	17.2% 55	22.0% 273	22.2% 41	24.0% 101	25.6% 60	1	22.1% 530
Neither agree nor disagree	10.9% 35	14.8% 184	13.5% 25	15.0% 63	11.5% 27	0	13.9% 334
Disagree	23.1% 74	13.3% 165	14.1% 26	15.7% 66	18.4% 43	0	15.6% 374
Strongly disagree	35.9% 115	35.5% 440	29.2% 54	25.4% 107	19.2% 45	1	31.7% 761
Can't choose	1.6% 5	1.0% 12	0.5% 1	0.0% 0	0.4% 1	0	0.8% 19
No answer	0.0% 0	0.1% 1	0.0% 0	0.2% 1	0.0% 0	0	0.1% 2
Missing	168	543	114	221	111	0	1157
TOTAL	100.0% 320	100.0% 1241	100.0% 185	100.0% 421	100.0% 234	2	2401

Notes

The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) annually since 1972, except for the years 1979, 1981, and 1992 (a supplement was added in 1992), and biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed to be part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. The 2008 GSS featured special modules on attitudes toward science and technology, self-employment, terrorism preparation, global economics, sports and leisure, social inequality, sexual behaviors and religion. Items on religion covered denominational affiliation, church attendance, religious upbringing, personal beliefs, and religious experiences.

The GSS is in transition from a replicating cross-sectional design to a design that uses rotating panels. In 2008 there were two components: a new 2008 cross-section with 2,023 cases and the first re-interviews (panel) with 1,536 respondents from the 2006 GSS. The 2,023 cases in the cross-section have been previously released as a part of the 1972-2008 cumulative data. This new release includes those 1,536 re-interviewed panel cases along with the 2,023 cases. Please note that this is not a cumulative file - those cases and variables not surveyed in 2008 are excluded. Also note that, although those 1,536 cases were from the 2006 sample, this release does not include their responses in 2006. We plan to release a data file with the previous responses in the future. This release introduces new variables that were asked only of the panel cases of the 2008 GSS. The majority of variables introduced are related to the 2007 International Social Survey Program (ISSP) module on leisure time and sports.