Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Diminishing Divide on Cultural Issues?

Opposition to Gay Marriage, Adoption and Military Service Declines

March 22, 2006

Public acceptance of homosexuality has increased in a number of ways in recent years. On three specific issues - allowing gays to serve openly in the military, adoption by homosexual couples and legalizing gay marriage - opposition has fallen considerably in the past decade, though each issue continues to be divisive. Half of Americans (51%) continue to oppose legalizing gay marriage, but this number is down from 63% just two years ago, when opposition spiked following the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision and remained high throughout the 2004 election season.

These are among the results of the latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted among 1,405 adults from March 8-12. Other key findings include:

South Dakota's Abortion Ban
By a 58%-to-34% margin most Americans would oppose a national version of South Dakota's new law banning abortion in all cases unless the mother's life is endangered. However, the South Dakota law has not yet become a galvanizing issue for supporters of abortion rights. Instead, it is the proponents of greater restrictions on abortion that care the most, and are the most likely to have donated money, written letters, or participated in activities related to the cause over the past year.

Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
Medicare enrollees express mixed views of the program so far. Most who have enrolled or looked into the program say the process is easy, not difficult, but just 38% believe the program will end up saving them money. Most Americans continue to approve of the program, but it is the seniors themselves, as well as those approaching retirement, who are the most doubtful about the program's benefits.

Health Care Concerns
Even as health care rides high as a top national issue, the public's personal health care concerns are not substantially greater today than in the early 1990s. Personal anxiety is highest about possible emergency health care costs or the cost of long-term care toward the end of life, as well as the loss of insurance or benefits from job changes or employer cutbacks. Routine medical costs, including prescriptions, are less of a concern.

Guantanamo Bay Policy
Just as many Americans favor (44%) as oppose (43%) the government's policy of holding suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay without formal charges or trial. There is a substantial partisan divide, with most Republicans (63%) supporting the policy, and most Democrats (57%) opposed.

Read the full report at people-press.org