Poll: Massachusetts is for gay marriage

Massachusetts residents, by a slim majority, approve of marriage rights for gay couples, according to a new survey, with young people and women more in favor of such same-sex unions than adult men. The Boston Globe/WBZ-TV poll of 400 Massachusetts residents, taken last week, found that 50% of those asked support legalizing marriage for gay men and lesbians, while 44% said they oppose it. Nationally, polls show that between 35% and 39% of people surveyed favor equal marriage rights. The Massachusetts supreme judicial court currently is considering whether to permit gay couples to marry. The Globe/WBZ poll, conducted by KRC Communications Research, with a margin of error of five percentage points, showed that among those between 18 and 39 years old, 62% support legalizing same-sex marriage, while 33% oppose it. For those between 40 and 64 years of age, 53% were in favor, and 42% were against the idea. Those over 65 were 69%-21% against gay marriage. According to the survey, women support same-sex marriage 55%-38%, while men oppose it 50%-45%.