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January 14, 2009

Gay-Supportive Politicians Routinely Reelected, Study Finds

Conventional wisdom has long posited that if a politician supports gay rights, he or she will face a tough reelection battle. But according to a new study, officeholders who support same-sex marriage and oppose homophobic bills often keep their jobs.

The marriage equality group Freedom to Marry sponsored the study, which included election results from 21 states since 2005. A review of all these votes shows that politicians supporting marriage equality and opposing constitutional amendments banning gay marriage are often reelected.

Freedom to Marry says more than 1,100 state legislators who voted to support the freedom to marry were reelected, regardless of their political party or if they changed their vote from opposing to supporting marriage equality.

"The American people deserve leaders who aren't afraid to lead," Evan Wolfson, Freedom to Marry's executive director, said in a release. "For politicians, standing up for marriage equality is not touching a third rail; rather, it is a track to reelection -- and, happily, the path toward inclusion that America is traveling."

Wolfson said this study should prove to legislators that they need not back down on supporting the freedom to marry and opposing antigay measures like California's Proposition 8. (Neal Broverman, Advocate.com)

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