Letters to the Editor:
New Jersey Voters & Same-Sex "Marriage":
NOT Perfect Together
Toni Meyer, Sr. Research Analyst, NJ Family Policy Council

In contrast to the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll (Jerseyans About Even on Same-Sex Marriage, 11-1-07), a poll commissioned the same month by the NJ Family Policy Council revealed the following:  Nearly two-thirds (61%) of New Jerseyans said that same-sex couples have a right to live as they choose, but do not have a right to redefine marriage for the rest of society. This question and others in the poll illustrates that once voters are informed how redefining marriage to include same-sex couples would affect them, their support for it decreases, and their support for a state constitutional amendment preserving marriage between one man and one woman increases.  A 44 percent plurality of voters said they would be less likely to support legalizing same-sex “marriage” if as a result civic organizations, religious charities, and schools could be penalized by the NJ government for refusing to recognize same-sex unions. Initially, 51 percent of voters expressed support for a constitutional amendment (42 % against, 7% didn’t know) yet this follow-up question led a sizeable 22 percent of those against it to be less certain.

Legislators should also take note that a plurality of voters would not look favorably on those who support same-sex “marriage”: Forty-two percent said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who supported allowing same-sex marriage (30% more likely, 23% no difference/depends).

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In contrast to the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll (Jerseyans About Even on Same-Sex Marriage, 11-1-07), a poll commissioned the same month by the NJ Family Policy Council revealed the following:  Nearly two-thirds (61%) of New Jerseyans said that same-sex couples have a right to live as they choose, but they do not have a right to redefine marriage for the rest of society.   This illustrates what we’ve been saying all along: it matters greatly what questions are asked in a poll. 
 
Many New Jerseyans do not readily connect how redefining marriage to include same-sex couples would affect everyone; including religious freedoms, free speech, and what children are taught in schools.  When the connection was proposed, there was less support for same-sex “marriage” – and more support for a state constitutional amendment to preserve marriage between one man and one woman only.  A 44 percent plurality of likely voters said that “If as a result of legalizing marriage between same-sex couples, religious charities, civic organizations and schools could be penalized by the NJ government for refusing to recognize unions between same-sex couples” they would be less likely to support same sex marriage.  In fact, this led a sizeable 22 percent of those who initially opposed a state constitutional amendment to be less certain.

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