The South's Stunning Embrace of Gay Marriage

The Atlantic ^ | Mar 10 2014, 7:00 AM ET | Robert P. Jones

[Pan_Yan]

[SNIP]

First, it is difficult to overstate the effect of the generation gap. A decade ago, when most of these same-sex marriage bans were passed across the South, the vast majority of today’s Millennials were neither counted in public-opinion surveys of adults nor eligible to vote. Their attitudes strongly diverge from their parents and grandparents. Nationwide, nearly seven in 10 (69 percent) Americans ages 18 to 33 favor same-sex marriage, compared to just 37 percent of Americans ages 68 and older. This generation gap is evident in virtually every subgroup in America, including among southerners. Today, nearly two thirds of southern Millennials (65 percent) support same-sex marriage, compared to just 28 percent of southerners in the Silent Generation.

Second, and perhaps not surprisingly given the value southerners place on hospitality, there is a growing “friends and family effect” at work in southerners’ changing attitudes. Despite the generally conservative cultural climate, more gay and lesbian southerners are coming out to those who are close to them. Nearly two thirds of southerners (64 percent) today say they have a close friend or family member who is gay or lesbian, a factor that strongly influences support for same-sex marriage. Within that group, 56 percent favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally; among southerners with no gay or lesbian close friends or family members, only 32 percent favor same-sex marriage.

[SNIP]

Finally, there is some evidence in the recent survey that southerners may be rediscovering a value that is part of the historical DNA of groups such as Southern Baptists: the separation of church and state. Southerners are drawing a distinction between personal moral objections to same-gender sexual relationships and support for public policy that would legally recognize same-sex marriage.

[MNDude]

Wow, you’ve spoken some of the most profound words I read here for awhile.

[Ransomed]

NC’s vote was 61% in 2012. That’s what CA passed prop. 22 by in 2000. So the 2012 of NC was where the CA of 2000 was on the issue. Something that would have got you called crazy if you would have predicted that in 2000. In 2008 CA’s prop. 8 passed by 52%. Not a good sign.

Just look at the amendments, when they passed, where they passed and what the states in the same area passed them by and when. Actual votes instead of polls based on telling a stranger over the phone what your opinion is of ‘gay marriage.’ The polls usually run slightly higher for ‘gay marriage’ from what I have observed. Which might not be too good a sign in and of itself. But the actual voting trend by popular vote is definitely not positive, albeit not as bad as the opinion polls.

Freegards

[lonestar67]

At SMU in Dallas the student senate voted to put on the general study body ballot a special senate seat reserved for a gay student. Lots of hype went into presenting it as a done deal. The student body voted no this week.

I guess the Atlantic is wrong.

[Ransomed]

I wouldn’t say it is stunning. Other areas of the country have shifted massively more so than the South. Hawaii actually passed it’s amendment by 69% in 1998 if I recall, one of the first two states to get an amendment. Yet VA and NC passed their votes by a significantly lower %. Hawaii is more liberal than VA or NC, so it would be surprising if its voting public wasn’t more inclined to ‘gay marriage than VA or NC. Hawaii probably shifted more by %.

Freegards

[GladesGuru]

Chillin sent to the Pooblik Skrewl Collectives do turn out to be socialism infected.

[NKP_Vet]

The article is pure BS! Of the three “Southern” states he’s talking about a democrat judge overruled the will of the people. NO SOUTHERN state has voted for queer “marriage”.

[MacNaughton]

25 If I recall correctly, Maine and Maryland had referendums on the subject, and voters in those states voted to allow same-sex marriage. Minnesota voters rejected an amendment which would have defined marriage as a man and a woman. Soon after that, the Minnesota legislature passed a law allowing homosexual marriage.

The WA state legislature passed homosexual marriage on 2/13/2012. But then it was placed on the ballot that fall and passed the voter referendum on 11/06/2012.

[BillyBoy]

>> It would indeed be ironic if the Hispanic vote saved us from our own stupidity as a nation. They may be one of the last groups in America who still hold onto their religious beliefs. We can only hope it holds up ... white millennials are most likely a lost cause <<

Hispanics are to the left of white southerners on gay marriage. If they're "socially conservative", I'd hate to see what socially liberal looks like.

http://prospect.org/article/myth-buster-latinos-are-not-natural-conservatives

[galtman]

Oh ... I was merely responding to the article ... I said it would be “ironic if” ... not when ... I do believe they hold on to their religion better than most ... but they have certainly been co-opted by the left in all other ways ... never forget how the Catholic Church has moved waaaayyyy to the left for decades!

[Biggirl]

.....Or could come roaring back to life because of Christian missionaries from the global south nations.

[trebb]

Seems like they’re trying to “give the South the chance to repent and atone” for all the bogus racism memes. “The South knows it has nothing to atone for.

[deport]

older mention of the info from a gallop poll

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/01/03/obamas-political-demise-gives-gop-chance-to-woo-democratic-voters/

[delchiante]

Secular humanism, the state run religion in America, is not gong to be defeated at the ballot box. Mexicans vote for secular humanists too and there will always be judges that can overturn the will of those votes anyways...

The ‘m’ word you are looking for is- muslims

And they wont need to use the ballot box..
god sits as king and judge forever and is above our ballot boxes and the nation’s judges..

And Scripture tells us what happened and happens to nations that forget God

Muslims growing and even becoming a more and more ‘protected people’ in this nation can only be divine providence.

And it isn’t so this country can witness to them..

they’ve witnessed all they need to see - they know what this secular humanist country is all about-

[tanknetter]

I think they have no idea what they are talking about.

I recall when the attacks began on Chik-fil-a, there were so many customers at the Dothan, Alabama one that they had to close down the traffic circle.

Keep in mind that the rallying around Chik-fil-a wasn't about demonstrating opposition to gay marriage, or support for it's owner's stance on it. It was about standing up to bullying by the Left and the Gaystopo/Homofascists against a company that puts a LOT back into the community and is pretty well-respected.

Millenials, from what I can tell, are a double-edged sword. On one hand they do support (or at least passively tolerate, if not approve of) things like gay marriage. On the other hand they have VERY well-established senses of right/wrong when it comes to the kinds of fascist behavior we're increasingly seeing on the Left. So while they may have no issue with gay marriage, they'll react VERY negatively to anyone who intimidates/attacks someone who does oppose it.

There is something pretty amusing, actually, about the notion that there's increasing support for gay marriage. Particularly in the South. Think about 1.) how hard Blacks (in general, and due to conditioning by the Left and problem profiteers like Jackson and Sharpton) feel they've had to struggle for their rights and 2.) how Blacks (in general) are amongst the biggest opponents of the "gay rights" agenda.

Think of their reaction to seeing that gays are suddenly being "accepted" by larger society/whites to a much greater extent than THEY believe were/are.