Same-Sex Marriage

• Introduction
• Patterns
• Over Time

Same-Sex Marriage (Demographic Patterns)

Homosexual couples should have the right to marry one another--do you agree or disagree?

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Same-Sex Marriage by Age (General Social Survey, 2006)

	18-30	31-44	45-64	65+	Missing	TOTAL
STRG.AGREE	22.0% 87	15.3% 84	14.8% 103	9.3% 33	0	15.4% 307
AGREE	25.3% 100	20.4% 112	19.3% 135	12.4% 44	0	19.6% 391
NEITHER	14.7% 58	15.7% 86	11.7% 82	8.4% 30	4	12.8% 256
DISAGREE	12.2% 48	16.8% 92	17.6% 123	18.5% 66	0	16.5% 329
STRG.DISAG	25.1% 99	31.3% 172	35.4% 247	49.4% 176	1	34.7% 694
CAN'T CHOS	0.8% 3	0.5% 3	0.7% 5	1.7% 6	0	0.9% 17
NO ANSWER	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.4% 3	0.3% 1	0	0.2% 4
Missing	455	740	898	401	13	2507
TOTAL	100% 395	100% 549	100% 698	100% 356	18	1998

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Same-Sex Marriage by Race (General Social Survey, 2006)

	White	Black	Other	TOTAL
STRG.AGREE	16.8% 247	7.7% 21	15.0% 39	15.3% 307
AGREE	20.3% 298	14.3% 39	20.8% 54	19.5% 391
NEITHER	12.2% 179	13.2% 36	17.3% 45	13.0% 260
DISAGREE	15.2% 224	22.8% 62	16.5% 43	16.4% 329
STRG.DISAG	34.6% 509	41.2% 112	28.5% 74	34.7% 695
CAN'T CHOS	0.7% 11	0.7% 2	1.5% 4	0.8% 17
NO ANSWER	0.2% 3	0.0% 0	0.4% 1	0.2% 4
Missing	1813	362	332	2507
TOTAL	100% 1471	100% 272	100% 260	2003

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Same-Sex Marriage by Religion (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Protestant	Catholic	Jewish	None	Other	Missing	TOTAL
STRG.AGREE	9.6% 100	15.3% 74	41.4% 12	27.7% 93	28.1% 27	1	15.4% 306
AGREE	15.4% 161	21.9% 106	27.6% 8	29.2% 98	15.6% 15	3	19.5% 388
NEITHER	11.0% 115	15.7% 76	6.9% 2	13.7% 46	17.7% 17	4	12.9% 256
DISAGREE	18.4% 192	16.7% 81	10.3% 3	11.6% 39	14.6% 14	0	16.5% 329
STRG.DISAG	44.9% 470	28.9% 140	13.8% 4	17.0% 57	22.9% 22	2	34.8% 693
CAN'T CHOS	0.8% 8	1.2% 6	0.0% 0	0.3% 1	1.0% 1	1	0.8% 16
NO ANSWER	0.0% 0	0.4% 2	0.0% 0	0.6% 2	0.0% 0	0	0.2% 4
Missing	1282	629	49	403	129	15	2507
TOTAL	100% 1046	100% 485	100% 29	100% 336	100% 96	26	1992

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Same-Sex Marriage by Gender (General Social Survey, 2006)

	MALE	FEMALE	TOTAL
STRG.AGREE	13.0% 113	17.1% 194	15.3% 307
AGREE	18.6% 161	20.2% 230	19.5% 391
NEITHER	12.9% 112	13.0% 148	13.0% 260
DISAGREE	16.2% 140	16.6% 189	16.4% 329
STRG.DISAG	38.3% 332	31.9% 363	34.7% 695
CAN'T CHOS	0.8% 7	0.9% 10	0.8% 17
NO ANSWER	0.1% 1	0.3% 3	0.2% 4
Missing	1137	1370	2507
TOTAL	100% 866	100% 1137	2003

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Same-Sex Marriage by Church attendance (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Never	Yearly	Monthly	Weekly	Missing	TOTAL
STRG.AGREE	25.9% 117	15.8% 96	16.6% 52	6.7% 42	0	15.4% 307
AGREE	21.7% 98	26.5% 161	20.1% 63	10.9% 68	1	19.5% 390
NEITHER	14.2% 64	15.8% 96	12.8% 40	9.1% 57	3	12.9% 257
DISAGREE	15.3% 69	15.2% 92	17.3% 54	18.2% 114	0	16.5% 329
STRG.DISAG	22.2% 100	25.7% 156	31.9% 100	53.8% 337	2	34.7% 693
CAN'T CHOS	0.7% 3	0.7% 4	1.3% 4	1.0% 6	0	0.9% 17
NO ANSWER	0.0% 0	0.3% 2	0.0% 0	0.3% 2	0	0.2% 4
Missing	569	768	375	782	13	2507
TOTAL	100% 451	100% 607	100% 313	100% 626	19	1997

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Same-Sex Marriage by Political ideology (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Liberal	Moderate	Conservative	Missing	TOTAL
STRG.AGREE	30.6% 158	12.4% 91	7.9% 54	4	15.7% 303
AGREE	26.9% 139	21.5% 158	12.0% 82	12	19.6% 379
NEITHER	11.6% 60	15.6% 115	11.0% 75	10	12.9% 250
DISAGREE	10.3% 53	17.7% 130	19.8% 135	11	16.4% 318
STRG.DISAG	20.0% 103	31.7% 233	48.5% 331	28	34.5% 667
CAN'T CHOS	0.6% 3	0.8% 6	0.7% 5	3	0.7% 14
NO ANSWER	0.0% 0	0.4% 3	0.0% 0	1	0.2% 3
Missing	664	947	788	108	2507
TOTAL	100% 516	100% 736	100% 682	177	1934

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Same-Sex Marriage by Education (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Not High School	High School	Jr. College	B.A.	Grad Degree	Missing	TOTAL
STRG.AGREE	9.3% 27	13.7% 140	19.4% 33	18.4% 63	24.6% 44	0	15.3% 307
AGREE	15.6% 45	19.6% 201	20.0% 34	19.6% 67	24.6% 44	0	19.5% 391
NEITHER	9.7% 28	14.1% 144	9.4% 16	14.9% 51	11.7% 21	0	13.0% 260
DISAGREE	15.9% 46	17.2% 176	12.9% 22	15.8% 54	17.3% 31	0	16.4% 329
STRG.DISAG	47.1% 136	34.6% 354	37.1% 63	30.4% 104	21.2% 38	0	34.7% 695
CAN'T CHOS	2.4% 7	0.5% 5	1.2% 2	0.6% 2	0.6% 1	0	0.8% 17
NO ANSWER	0.0% 0	0.3% 3	0.0% 0	0.3% 1	0.0% 0	0	0.2% 4
Missing	402	1250	207	421	224	3	2507
TOTAL	100% 289	100% 1023	100% 170	100% 342	100% 179	3	2003

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Notes

General Social Survey, 2006: 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 as part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. The 2006 GSS includes a topical module for mental health. Items in the 2006 GSS include questions on religious self-identification, denominational affiliation, personal beliefs, and religious upbringing.