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Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S.

A Pew Forum research package provides an overview of the same-sex marriage debate and examines public opinion and religious groups' views on the issue as well as exploring the legal angles.

 

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ANALYSIS February 7, 2012
Religion and Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Feb. 7 that a 2008 California referendum banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. According to the Pew Research Center’s latest polling on the issue, support for same-sex marriage varies by religious group.
POLL November 29, 2010
Most Continue to Favor Gays Serving Openly in Military
As the Pentagon prepares to release its highly anticipated survey of military personnel about the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, a Pew Research Center survey finds that most Americans (58%) say they favor allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the armed forces.
LEGAL REPORT November 22, 2010
Proposition 8 on Trial: A Federal Court of Appeals Takes Up California’s Gay Marriage Ban
On Dec. 6, a federal appeals court in San Francisco will hear arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8, a voter-approved 2008 California ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage in the state.
POLL October 6, 2010
Support For Same-Sex Marriage Edges Upward
Polls this year have found that more Americans favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally than did so just last year.
POLL September 17, 2010
Few Say Religion Shapes Immigration, Environment Views
Many Americans continue to say their religious beliefs have been highly influential in shaping their views about social issues, including abortion and same-sex marriage. But far fewer cite religion as a top influence on their opinions about several other social and political issues, including how the government should deal with immigration, the environment and poverty.
LEGAL REPORT August 4, 2010
Federal Court Strikes Down Calif. Same-Sex Marriage Ban
A federal district court judge struck down California’s ban on gay marriage, ruling that the prohibition violates the U.S. Constitution.
INTERVIEW June 3, 2010
Tensions Between Rights of Conscience and Civil Rights
Until recently, the debate over “conscience protections” for health care workers centered largely on abortion and birth control. But in the past few years, new cases have emerged that have expanded the debate and raised questions about the tensions between individuals’ rights of conscience and the need to protect certain groups against discrimination, notably gays and lesbians.
POLL October 9, 2009
Majority Continues To Support Civil Unions
A clear majority of Americans (57%) favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into civil unions. This finding marks a slight uptick in support for civil unions and appears to continue a significant long-term trend.
ANALYSIS July 9, 2009
A Contentious Debate: Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S.
In the last five years, the debate over gay marriage has been heard in the halls of the U.S. Congress, at the White House, in dozens of state legislatures and courtrooms, and in the rhetoric of election campaigns at both the national and state levels.
LEGAL REPORT July 9, 2009
The Constitutional Dimensions of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate
While the gay marriage controversy has many elements, including disagreements over religious and social norms, much of the debate is a legal one.  
ANALYSIS July 9, 2009
Public Opinion on Gay Marriage: Opponents Consistently Outnumber Supporters
Based on an April 2009 poll, this report includes a discussion of public opinion on gay marriage, same-sex unions and adoption by same-sex couples.
ANALYSIS July 9, 2009
Gay Marriage Around the World
In many countries around the globe, the institution of marriage is in flux as governments consider whether to allow gay and lesbian couples the right to marry or enter into other legally recognized forms of domestic partnership. Currently, countries around the world, mostly in Europe, offer varying levels of marriage rights to gay couples.
GRAPHIC July 9, 2009
State Policies on Same-Sex Marriage
This graphic illustrates the states with constitutional amendments banning gay marriage as well as states where gay marriage is legal. 
INTERVIEW May 21, 2009
A Clash of Rights? Gay Marriage and the Free Exercise of Religion
The Pew Forum turns to professors Robert W. Tuttle and Ira "Chip" Lupu of The George Washington University Law School to discuss how some states are trying to reconcile potential conflicts between the legalization of gay marriage and the free exercise of religion.
ANALYSIS March 19, 2009
Most Mainline Protestants Say Society Should Accept Homosexuality
The Pew Forum's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey finds that majorities of members two mainline Protestant denominations say that homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society.
ANALYSIS November 13, 2008
States With Voter-Approved Constitutional Bans on Same-Sex Marriage, 1998-2008
Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage following a ruling by the state's highest court. In the five years since the Massachusetts decision, 26 states have amended their constitutions to ban gay marriage.
EVENT TRANSCRIPT October 2, 2008
Will the Culture War Matter on Election Day?
The selection of Sarah Palin as the Republican Party's vice presidential candidate and Catholic bishops' criticism of Joe Biden's comments on when life begins have increased the attention paid to culture war issues.
INTERVIEW April 24, 2008
An Argument For Same-Sex Marriage: An Interview with Jonathan Rauch
The debate over same-sex marriage in the United States is a contentious one, and advocates on both sides continue to work hard to make their voices heard. To explore the case for gay marriage, the Pew Forum has turned to Jonathan Rauch.
INTERVIEW April 24, 2008
An Argument Against Same-Sex Marriage: An Interview with Rick Santorum
To explore the case against gay marriage, the Pew Forum has turned to Rick Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and now a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
ANALYSIS April 1, 2008
An Overview of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ignited a nationwide debate in late 2003 when it ruled that the state must allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. Almost overnight, same-sex marriage became a major national issue, pitting religious and social conservatives against gay-rights advocates and their allies.
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