The results of a new poll released last week, that seem to contradict other recent research, shows that 62 percent of Americans either agree or strongly agree with the statement, “I believe that marriage should be defined only as a union between one man and one woman.” The survey was sponsored by the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) and was carried out by Public Opinion Strategies, May 16-19, 2011.
Those who conduct public opinion polls have often pointed out that the wording of a question can have a major impact on the response. For example, when a Pew survey asked, “Do you think it should be legal or illegal for gay and lesbian couples to get married?” a majority (53 percent) said it should be “legal.” A poll conducted by Gallup in May asked, “Do you think marriages between same-sex couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?” A small majority (53 percent) said they should be recognized while 45 percent said they should not. And, a CNN/Opinion Research survey released in April of this year indicated that just over half (51 percent) of all Americans believe that same-sex marriages should be legally valid.
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