Poll in Minnesota Suggests Uphill Climb for Marriage Equality

Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann watches President Obama's first State of the Union after winning reelection.

Marriage equality activists still have a ways to go in Minnesota before convincing the public, at least according to a new poll from a top newspaper.

State lawmakers recently introduced a bill to legalize same-sex marriages, and in the state that Michele and Marcus Bachmann call home, activists are actually hopeful progress is possible.

But the Star Tribune poll this week found 53% of Minnesotans say a ban on same-sex marriage should remain the law. The poll comes with a sizable margin of error of 3.5 percentage points, and it contradicts the trend. Voters are just returning from the November polls, where they became the first in the nation to turn back an attempt to amend the Constitution with a marriage ban as 51% sided with LGBT activists.

Previous polls showed a huge swing toward equality among independents, which opposed the constitutional ban by a wide margin.  But the Star Tribune poll claims that 62% of independents now believe marriage should be only between a man and a woman.

The Star Tribune poll, which surveyed 800 people, found the biggest holdouts are rural voters (73% oppose marriage), men (64% oppose), and senior citizens (72% oppose).

Meanwhile, Minnesotans United for All Families is touting the support of 340 clergy and religious leaders who say they back marriage equality because, "though we come from different faith backgrounds, we share in common a belief in the inherent dignity of all people."

And, the 21-year-old chairman of the Minnesota College Republicans, Ryan Lyk, issued a statement about his support for marriage equality, saying "It is not the role of government to dictate who can be married, whose love is valid, and which families matter more than others."