1:30pm | Long Beach voters support of allowing gay couples to marry has increased since the passage of Proposition 8 in 2008 according to our new lbpost.com/Probolsky Research poll among likely Long Beach voters. The poll found that 57.8% of likely Long Beach voters would legalize same-sex marriage and 32.3% oppose with 6.5% undecided.
Back in 2008, California voters narrowly passed Proposition 8 which provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. In that vote, however, Long Beach voters differed from statewide voters when 52.45% opposed Proposition 8 (47.55% were in favor). According to our poll, the amount of Long Beach voters who oppose same-sex marriage today (32.3%) is lower than the 47.55% of voters who supported Proposition 8 (thereby opposing same-sex marriages).
Areas of the city that were most in favor of same-sex marriage in 2008 were Downtown, Alamitos Beach and Belmont Shore.
“Long Beach supported same-sex marriages by opposing Proposition 8 in 2008,” explained Adam Probolsky, poll director and Chairman and CEO of Probolsky Research. “Two years later, our poll indicates Long Beach voters are still very supportive – especially among female, Democratic, decline to state and younger voters – and that opposition to same-sex marriage has actually decreased since 2008,” continued Probolsky.
Our poll on same-sex marriage also found:
– More women feel gay couples should be allowed to legally marry (64.5%) than men (50.3%).
– 70.4% of Democratic voters and 68.9% of decline to state voters feel that gay couples should be allowed to marry, contrasting with 54.1% of Republican voters who feel they should not.
– More of those aged 18-34 feel that gay couples should be allowed to marry (66.7%) than those aged 35-54 (56.9%) and 65+ (46.5%).
Long Beach is home to a large lesbian and gay community. The city hosts an annual Gay Pride Parade & Festival, has an active Gay & Lesbian Center, and dozens of LGBT social service and non-profits.
Long Beach also has two openly gay members of the City Council and has approved a resolution to support the effort to overturn Proposition 8. A federal judge ruled that it is unconstitutional in August, and his ruling is being appealed and will be heard by a three-member appellate court panel in December.
The City Council also approved an Equal Benefits Ordinance last year that requires the City to do business with companies that provide identical benefits to same-sex partners as it does traditional marriage partners.
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Our Polls
Poll: Mayor Foster At 63.7% Approval Rating, 60.3% Of Voters Say City On Right Track
Poll: Long Beach Divided On Local Ballot Measures, Pot Tax and Vet Proposition Poised to Pass
Poll: Support For Same-Sex Marriage In Long Beach Grows
Poll: Three Most Important Issues To Long Beach Voters
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Publisher’s Note: In a February 2010 message to our readers we highlighted our role as a local leader in the changing world of news delivery. We remain committed to providing new ways for you to obtain the information you want. This week we launched our first comprehensive research poll in partnership with Probolsky Research and we encourage you to form an opinion and debate the results in the comments section below.
About the lbpost.com/Probolsky Research Poll
Click here for the detailed polling results.
lbpost.com is a daily, online media publication providing news, politics, business, life and sports coverage on issues impacting our city. Newport Beach-based Probolsky Research specializes in opinion research, with government, corporate and political practice areas. The poll was conducted October 6 – October 7, 2010 with 325 likely Long Beach voters with a +/- 5.4 margin of error. Likely November 2010 Long Beach voters included those who voted in any of the November 2008, May 2009, June 2010 elections and voted at least in three of the November 2006, February 2008, June 2008, November 2008, May 2009 and June 2010 elections or if they registered after February 2008 and voted in any of the June 2008, May 2009, and June 2010 elections or registered after November 2008 and voted in either the May 2009 or June 2010 elections or registered after June 2010.