Same-sex marriage is one of the developing stories among people globally. Considering the traditional perspective on the issue, it is integral to note that as the debate continually becomes intense, contentious since more people tend to continue opposing the notion. Arguably, religious leaders have had a significant role in opposing same-sex marriage with arguments that it does not abide by religious practices. However, since religion is just but a factor involved, it becomes crucial to understand the public opinion of people regarding the matter (Twenge, Sherman & Wells, 2016). Marriage agreements necessitate the need for two people who find it suitable to live together as partners, which raises the question of whether same-gender can have such partnerships in a matrimonial niche.
Individual opinions on same-sex marriage vary depending on people themselves. A study conducted in the United States in Pew Research Polling determined that Americans had opposed same-gender marriage by a margin of about 60% to 31%. However, since 2004 when the study was conducted, it is clear that the support for same-sex marriage has had an upsurge, with about 61% of the Americans being in support of the same-gender marriage as opposed to 31%, who now oppose it (Pew Research Center. 2019). The steady rise in support of this type of marriage is attributed to various factors inclusive of political influences, social support, and diversity practices. Exposure of the people to an extensive network of other individuals through the workplace and through social interaction sites has increased knowledge sharing, which is attributed to having an impact on public opinion. Similarly, support of the marriage from political leaders such as the venture taken by Donald Trump to legalize the same improve the overall support for the marriage across the nation.
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On the subject of politics and religion, the article selected further provides statistics on attitudes on same-sex marriage based on political party identification and the affiliated religion. According to the Pew Research Center (2019), gay marriage, for instance, is favored by about 81% of the Democratic party followers, with 56% of the republican learners supporting same-sex marriage in the United States. Among the self-described liberal democrats, the support for sex-marriage is at 88%, which is crucial to show that more Americans, despite their political party affiliation, support the same-sex marriage. However, religious communities are seen to have lower support for same-gender marriages. For people who are religiously unaffiliated, majority of them have been on the support for same-gender marriages, with rankings of up to 79% of the total population claiming that same-sex gender should be left to marry. Catholics and Mainline Protestants, on the other hand, have had slight growth in the number of supporters to having about two thirds of their population now being in support of the same-gender marriages (Flores & Barclay, 2016). However, for the evangelic protestants, the scores are much lower, and have remained quite low since 2004. It is evident from the article that only 29% of the total evangelic protestants condone the notion of same-sex marriage, which has risen from 11% in 2004 when the study was first conducted. The data presented indicate that as years have passed, the support for same-sex marriages has been increasing. Factors such as influence from other people and nations, dropping religious beliefs, diversity has had a role in adjusting the rate of support seen from the public on same-gender marriages. The figure below shows a clear graph of how the identified concerns have been documented over different years.
Demographic groups, however, have similar trends in their support of same-sex marriages. Among the men, it is clear that the support for the same-sex-marriage remains high, with 57% of them being in support of the venture. For the women, the rate remains steadily high at 66%, which indicates that the females are more acclimated to the idea of same-gender marriages, lesbianism, as compared to the men. With regards to race, the whites, Hispanics, and blacks have had a large share of the support on the same-gender marriages. Whites lead the support range by about 62% with the Hispanics following at about 58% and the blacks by 51%. These rates are a clear perspective on why more of the whites have had interventions towards the legalization of same-gender marriages not only in the United States but also in other nations. These statistics can be identified in the figure below.
In a matrimonial settings, partners are arguably compatible and have decided for their own to stay in the marriage, which is why there have been discussions about same-gender marriages and if they can have similar results compared to opposite-gender marriages. Through the article, it is notable that support for same-sex marriages has been on the rise over recent years. Moreover, owing to the legalization of the marriages in the United States, it is expected that a steady rise in their support will continue to be observed. However, opposition for the same will still be expected from various communities, religions, and demographics.
References
Flores, A. R., & Barclay, S. (2016). Backlash, consensus, legitimacy, or polarization: The effect of same-sex marriage policy on mass attitudes. Political Research Quarterly , 69 (1), 43-56.
Pew Research Center. (2019). Changing Attitudes on Same-Sex Marriage. Retrieved 17 July 2019, from https://www.pewforum.org/fact-sheet/changing-attitudes-on-gay-marriage/
Twenge, J. M., Sherman, R. A., & Wells, B. E. (2016). Changes in American adults’ reported same-sex sexual experiences and attitudes, 1973–2014. Archives of Sexual Behavior , 45 (7), 1713-1730.
