Gay Rights

Bush Pollster: GOP Must Evolve On Gay Rights

Sahil Kapur | May 13, 2012, 10:50AM

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Republicans must evolve on gay rights or risk political extinction, a top GOP pollster warns leading establishment figures in a revealing new memo.

Jan van Lohuizen, who polled for President George W. Bush in 2004, finds that support for gay rights -- including same sex marriage -- is rising at an accelerated pace among members of all political affiliations. He calls on Republicans to acknowledge the shift in the way they talk about the issue.

The memo, reported by various news outlets, recommends that Republicans express their support for "equality under the law as a fundamental principle" because "freedom means freedom for everyone."

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Barney Frank

Barney Frank: America On The Verge Of Marriage Equality 'Within 10 Years'

Sahil Kapur | May 10, 2012, 6:15AM

Longtime Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), the first member of Congress to reveal himself to be gay, told TPM he was very happy to see President Obama endorse same-sex marriage, but characterized the move as a political no-brainer that would have little impact on the 2012 election.

"I do not think anybody is going to switch his or her opinion on him because of this," Frank said shortly after Obama's announcement Wednesday afternoon. "I believe that if you are someone who was going to be so influenced by your position on same-sex marriage, then you would already be against Obama before this, because of his position on [the Defense of Marriage Act]."

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Eric Schneiderman

New York AG Asks Court To Throw Out Anti-Gay Marriage Suit

Jillian Rayfield | September 19, 2011, 1:03PM

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has asked a state court to toss a lawsuit challenging New York's marriage equality law, which was signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo back in June.

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Same Sex Marriage

Still No Vote Set For Same-Sex Marriage In New York Senate

Eric Lach | June 17, 2011, 9:16AM

New York State Senate Republicans have still not said whether they will bring a bill legalizing same-sex marriage to a floor vote, The Albany Times Union reports. The New York Assembly passed the bill on Wednesday, setting expectations for the Senate to take it up this week.

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Same Sex Marriage

For First Time Ever, Gallup Finds Majority Support Same Sex Marriage

Jon Terbush | May 20, 2011, 11:11AM

In a historic shift, a Gallup poll released Friday morning finds that for the first time, a majority of Americans suport legalizing same sex marriage.

That result reinforces a trove of recent polls that have produced similar findings, and it furthers a trend of Americans gradually becoming more accepting of legal recognition for same sex couples. It comes as Republicans are taking legal action over the Obama administration's decision to no longer defend parts of the Defense of Marriage Act on grounds of constitutionality.

In the poll, 53% of Americans said they supported same sex marriage, compared to 45% who said they did not. That's almost exactly the opposite of what Gallup found last year, when 53% of Americans opposed same sex marriage, while 44% supported it.

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