Poll:
Californians more accepting of gays

Californians are becoming more accepting of gay people, a new statewide survey shows. The Field Poll, which is nonpartisan, indicates that residents of California have become more tolerant on a range of issues, including same-sex marriage, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. On the question of marriage equality, the survey reveals that 43% of Californians approve of same-sex marriage, an increase from 38% in 1997, the last time there was a similar poll. Disapproval of same-sex marriage is down also, to 51% now compared with 56% in 1997. When civil unions are added to the mix, 32% of respondents said they favor marriage rights, 32% favor civil unions, and 32% favor neither. "As time passes, there is a greater acceptance of gay and lesbian rights and greater support of antidiscrimination policies," Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field Poll, said. "That's the key finding." Among other findings, 67% of Californians support ending the military's ban on gays and lesbians, while only 22% oppose such a move. The survey questioned 1,000 California adults in February and has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points. (The Advocate)