Gay marriage splits voters

Career politicians are regularly accused of being out of touch on gay and lesbian issues, but an ANU survey has found aspiring politicians at last year’s election were actually more likely to support same-sex marriage than voters.

Australian voters are evenly split on the issue with Australian Election Study exit-poll data released last week showing 43.5 percent of the 1856 voters surveyed were in favour of same-sex marriages being recognised in law with the same rights as traditional marriages, 43.1 percent opposed, and 13.4 percent undecided.

However, a parallel survey of candidates running in the 2007 election found just under half (49.3 percent) were opposed to the current federal ban. A little over a third supported the ban.

A total of 456 candidates were surveyed from the major parties as well as the Greens, Democrats, Family First, One Nation and the Citizens Electoral Council of Australia.

The ANU has not used consistent questions across elections, making it difficult to tell if the same-sex marriage is gaining support. However, when candidates were surveyed in 2004 about same-sex relationship recognition, although not specifically marriage, there was just a slightly larger support base of 56.3 percent in favour.

Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby co-convenor Emily Gray said the poll was positive in that the level of support was significant.

Before the Federal Government made its apology to the stolen generation, support for that was around 54 percent, around the same level as same-sex marriage. That shows quite strongly where the government leads the community will follow, Gray said.

As the gay and lesbian community moves towards equality in other areas and as the wider community becomes more familiar with gay and lesbian people, same-sex marriage is gaining a lot more traction.

The community as a whole, not just gays and lesbians, were crying out for leadership on social justice issues, especially after 11 years of going backwards.