Ever since the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages in late June 2015, the media world has been abuzz with news stories and controversies. To see if the debates and arguments have swayed peoples' opinions on the matter one way or another, the Associated Press conducted an online survey that included 1,004 Americans between the days of July 9th and July 13th.
The results of the survey – which are outlined in a full Associated Press article here – suggest a general decline in support of same-sex marriage. When asked specifically about the Supreme Court's ruling on the Obergefell v. Hodges case that legalized same-sex marriage, however, the percentage of people in approval was even lower, roughly 39%. Disapproval ratings were a slight majority at 41% and the remaining 20% were either unsure or chose not to answer.
What Do the Numbers Mean?
When extrapolated to the rest of the American population, this information is actually quite interesting and useful when looking at the overall issue. It shows that even if someone is not against same-sex marriage, they can still be very much against the ruling that allows it. But why would that be?
The answer lies in ongoing protests. By overruling the bans that 13 states had in place, the Supreme Court upset many people and allowed a federal mandate to take precedent over the states' rights to decide their own marriage laws. Others also argue that they are infringing upon the freedoms and beliefs of several religious institutions. It is entirely possible that people are not comfortable with overriding any rights, whether they be an individual's or an organization's.
Will This Change the Supreme Court's Decision?
An issue that any survey faces is accuracy when scaled up to the bigger picture. Although the AP-GfK Polls have a reputation of reliability, a sample size just over 1000 is difficult to use as judgement for a population of more than 300 million. Additionally, even if several polls showed that approval ratings for the Supreme Court's ruling were considerably low, it would not have any direct effect on the laws in place.
The most that poll numbers such as these can do is further influence people to speak their mind. Politicians who oppose of the ruling, for example, can reference to this survey when fighting for a repeal of or modification to same-sex marriage laws.
If you live in Southern California and have any family law disputes that might involve the newfound rights of same-sex couples, such as filing for divorce or deciding child custody agreements, contact Taub & Taub, P.C. today. Our Woodland Hills divorce attorneys have more than 40 years of combined experience we can use to assist you through your legal struggles, no matter how complex they may seem.