Canadians Love Their Gay Marriage

categories: Gay Marriage, International Gay Rights, Marriage Equality

Published September 14, 2009 @ 10:36AM PT

LGBT Canada

A new survey shows that Canadian citizens overwhelmingly support same-sex marriage, showing up both the United States and Great Britain on the issue of equal rights. Perhaps that's not surprising, given that Canada is one of the largest countries in the world that has legalized same-sex marriage. But still, when it comes to a commitment to equality, Canada is leading the way.

The survey, conducted by polling firm Angus Reid, found that young people are leading the way when it comes to the issue of marriage equality. In Canada, a whopping 73 percent of people ages 18-34 support same-sex marriage, while only 7 percent oppose it. That's huge! We're guessing that not even cuddly puppies or chocolate receive that high of an approval rating.

That number jives with polling on the U.S., too, which shows overwhelming support for marriage equality among people under 40. In this particular survey, only 42 percent of folks ages 18-34 said they supported marriage equality. But other studies, like this one discussed over at FiveThirtyEight, show that young people in the U.S. support marriage equality by upwards of 50 percent.

Either way, more young people support marriage equality than are against it. Which goes to show that we're on the trajectory toward equal rights -- it's just going to take some time to get there. Alas, someday the U.S. will be Canada...

(Photo courtesy of publicdomainarts' photostream on Flickr.)

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Comments (5)

Of course, by the time that happens, Canada will approach Nirvana ...

Posted by Eric Peterson on 09/14/2009 @ 11:21AM PT
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It's good that Canadians aged below 35 strongly support the very important right of same-sex marriage. It can't be forgotten that all the states which currently recognize same-sex marriage border or are near Canada such as Connecticutt, Vermont and Iowa, which is a little further south. Hopefully, the United States will recognize same-sex marriage on the federal level, thus DOMA must be repealed to make way for equality.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 09/14/2009 @ 11:55AM PT
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I hope and pray that that day comes soon soon.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 09/14/2009 @ 03:51PM PT
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Not only is SSM supported there, but so are gay parents, and families. And with their strict anti-harassments laws there is none.

This is the new reason to emigrate to Canada.

Posted by Lee Dorsey on 09/15/2009 @ 04:54PM PT
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I agree, Lee! Our Canadian marriage license is the most precious piece of paper that we have. We are seriously considering emigrating to a country that has come fully into the 21st Century.

It really would be easy in this country if the right wing homophobes were simply ignored as the cretins they are. That goes for the religious wrong as well.

Posted by Ioan Lightoller on 09/16/2009 @ 08:07AM PT
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Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.