June 12, 2000

Poll examines gay marriage
___WASHINGTON (RNS) --A slim majority of Americans supports the rights of gays and lesbians to receive domestic partner benefits, as long as those rights are not granted within the context of "marriage," according to a new poll.
___In the survey conducted for the Associated Press, 53 percent of Americans said gay couples should have health insurance benefits. Fifty percent said gay couples should have Social Security benefits and 56 percent said they should have inheritance rights.
___But when asked whether gay couples should have the right to "marry," 51 percent said no and 34 percent said yes. When asked if gay couples should have all the rights and benefits of a "domestic partnership," affirmation rose slightly to 41 percent.
___The poll of 1,012 people conducted in May found some areas of support, but the populations that have traditionally opposed gay rights continue to do so.

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