Fast-changing views on marriage equality

Attitudes on gay marriage have been shifting incredibly fast over the last few years.  We are all hoping that they are changing quickly enough to result in the victories for marriage equality at the ballot box here in Washington State as well as in Maryland and Maine, as well as halting the proposed constitutional amendment in Minnesota in a few weeks.

There have been a few very interesting articles on this cultural change. Third Way, a centrist think tank, put out a detailed examination of the demographic shifts between 2004 and 2011 behind the increasing support for marriage equality.  And while one oft-cited reason for the change is the coming-of-age of younger voters and the gradual replacement of older, more conservative voters, however Lanae Erickson Hatalsky, director of Social Policy and Politics at Third Way, find that three-quarters of the shift in opinion has come from people changing their minds, especially among older generations.  One of the greatest ways to increase support for equality is to have a conversation with your family and friends.

In the last few days of the election campaign, make sure that you have returned your ballot APPROVING Referendum 74.  Please encourage everyone you know to do the same.  Talk to them about why it matters to you.

Third Way “The Big Shift: Changing Views on Marriage for Gay Couples.”

The Advocate “Thank Your Grandparents for Equality Surging in Polls.”

Why Marriage Matters “Start a Conversation”