Some Opponents of Gay Marriage Say The Are Loosing The Fight

They see the reality, but they’re not giving u up.
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Courtesy of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.
Forty-five percent of the population oppose gay marriage compared to the 65 percent that did in 1996.
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 Thirty-three percent of Americans discourage homosexuality. 
 That’s the word from those opposed to same-sex marriage, who know that support for it has grown to 45 percent compared to 27 percent in 1996, according to a recent survey done by the Pew Research Center. 

“I have to say the momentum is on the other side,” said Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth about Homosexuality, a group that believes the Bible forbids same-sex marriage and that stands against homosexuality.

“Even though the momentum is on their side, I’m gonna stick with God,” LaBarbera said.

LaBarbera contributes the shifting tide to the attention given to gay-rights movements and media and TV coverage.

“It’s propaganda,” he said.

“People think they are born that way,” LaBarbera said. “But you are responsible for your behavior. This is far beyond gay rights.”

Fifty-eight percent of the public accept homosexuality, according to Pew. 
Academic experts argue that even though more people support gay and lesbian rights, they still don’t support same-sex marriage as much.

Thirty-three percent of Americans discourage homosexuality and 46 percent oppose same-sex marriage, according to Pew.

“Many of the same folks who argue that lesbians and gays should have civil rights also argue that gay marriage is morally wrong,” said David Embrick, sociology professor at Loyola University Chicago.

“There is a big difference between making a human or civil rights argument about issues such as same-sex marriage and making a moral argument,” he said.

LaBarbera said this sin should be no different from others.

“It’s all about getting approval for a lifestyle that shouldn’t deserve it,” LaBarbera said. “Everyone deserves respect, but not all behaviors do. Humans make all types of sins. We treat this sin just the same as others.”

LaBarbera said this is still not a pass for those who hate homosexuals.
“It doesn’t mean we hate them,” he said. “We just have to get back to the core of the problem. This is really about the behavior of people.”

Equality Illinois, the oldest state organization that supports the LGBT community, had a marriage-equality bill introduced in the General Assembly Feb. 8. Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced his support for same-sex marriage in January.

Embrick said even though laws may be implemented for civil rights justice, it still does not reflect the change in attitudes toward same-sex marriage.

“Same-sex marriage might be signed in to law and would no doubt have a dramatic impact,” he said. “However, I wouldn't say that just because a law is passed that this reflects a greater shift in public attitudes toward same-sex marriage or lesbians and gays in society.”

Republicans support same-sex marriage the least in comparison to Democrats and Independents. Only 27 percent of Republicans favor same-sex marriage compared to 57 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of Independents.

The partisan statistics are a reflection of politics more than anything else, Embrick said.

There are other factors too, researchers say.
“African-Americans also take more conservative positions than whites on whether homosexuality should be accepted by society,” said Carroll Doherty, associate director of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

Thirty-six percent of blacks support same-sex marriage compared to the 46 percent of whites that do.

“However, blacks certainly are not as conservative on these issues, or on gay marriage, as white evangelical Protestants,” Doherty said.

Sixty-three percent of white evangelical Protestants discourage homosexuality, according to a survey Pew released in May.

Less educated society members oppose homosexuality more than those who are. Forty percent of those who have a high school diploma or less discourage homosexuality; with some college, the opposition rate drops to 28 percent; 26 percent who have a college degree discourage homosexuality.

Even though the spotlight shows the progression of acceptances toward homosexuality, LaBarbera said it’s still not enough to change the moral concept of the issue.

“The question is should government approve of this life behavior and give it a status it doesn’t deserve,” he said. “You are left responsible for your behavior by God.”


http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/



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