Poll: Chicago area is split on gay marriage - But Tribune/WGN poll finds majority support civil unions

Poll: Chicago area is split on gay marriage - But Tribune/WGN poll finds majority support civil unions
By Rex W. Huppke
Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune
August 16, 2010
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-poll-same-sex-marriage-20100816,0,5794835.story


Robert Young has a clear opinion on whether same-sex marriages should be legalized in Illinois, or anywhere else: "I think it's wrong, but I don't want to force my morality on other people. I think that's not my position to judge. That's somebody else's job."

Young, of Oak Lawn, says his opinions on homosexuality are grounded in his Christian faith, but his willingness to support gay marriage puts him in the minority among Chicago-area suburbanites. In a recent Tribune/WGN poll, 46 percent of suburban residents said they oppose legalizing same-sex marriage, while 40 percent approve and 14 percent have no opinion.

When asked their opinions on civil unions — which would provide same-sex couples with many of the same legal rights as marriage — the results switch: 54 percent of suburban residents favor legalizing same-sex civil unions, compared with 33 percent who would oppose such a law. When city residents are included, the results remain nearly the same.

The poll shows the Chicago area falls largely in line with national opinions on gay marriage, an issue that has received considerable attention lately after a federal judge in California declared that state's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. Same-sex marriages could resume as soon as Wednesday in California, and the judge's decision is expected to make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gay rights advocates in Illinois have been fighting to legalize civil unions for several years, and many are confident that this may be the year it can get enough votes to pass. But a bill that would legalize same-sex marriages in Illinois has languished, and few envision it progressing any time soon.

The overall opinion on legalizing same-sex marriage, when city respondents are factored in, is split: 42 percent oppose it, 42 percent support it and 15 percent have no opinion. The Market Shares Corp. telephone poll of 800 male and female heads of household from the six-county Chicago area has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Debra Williams, of Bellwood, opposes same-sex marriage, but she believes civil unions should be allowed.

"I think marriage should be a term reserved for heterosexuals," Williams said. "But civil unions, which are legally binding in every single way like marriage, should be allowed for any couple that wants them."

She said her opinions of gay and lesbian couples have changed over the years.

"When I was younger, it was a situation that was very uncomfortable for me," Williams said. "Now that I'm older, I feel, live and let live. As long as what's going on is between consenting adults, I'm not in your business."

Recent national polls have found that Americans have grown increasingly familiar with gay and lesbian people, as more individuals choose to live openly and the number of gay characters in television and movies has increased. In the Tribune/WGN poll, a majority of Chicago-area residents — 53 percent — said they approve of gay and lesbian characters appearing in prime-time television shows.

But there remains a substantial portion of the population that considers same-sex relationships to be morally wrong. Overall, 37 percent of people in the Chicago area have that opinion, compared with 50 percent who don't believe such relationships are morally wrong.

Jerald Host, who lives on the city's North Side, said he doesn't believe gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry or have the same legal marriage rights as heterosexual couples, and that morality is the driving force behind his opinions.

"I don't think it's a wholesome environment for children," Host said. "I don't want to give validity to that lifestyle."

rhuppke@tribune.com