The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center shows that while only 36% of Americans favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally (slightly higher than in previous studies), for the first time a majority (53%) favors permitting gays and lesbians to enter into legal arrangements that would give them many of the same rights as married couples.
According to the survey, there has also been a slight decline (down to 29%) in the number of Americans expressing support for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
There is no reason that state ballot initiatives that ban both
gay marriage and same-sex civil unions are passing with such high
numbers, given public sentiment on civil unions. If national gay
groups choose not to devote enough time, money and resources on
these referenda (in favor of throwing money at national Democratic
candidates with broad-based left-liberal agendas), then pressure
should be brought to bear.