A majority of North Carolinians support
a proposed constitutional amendment which would ban gay marriage in
the state, a new poll released Wednesday has found.
The poll, commissioned by WRAL
News and conducted by SurveyUSA, found that 58 percent of 1,001
likely voters support Amendment One, while 36 percent oppose it and 6
percent said they were undecided.
Voters will decide on the measure
during North Carolina's May 8 presidential primary.
If approved, the amendment would bar
North Carolina from recognizing the relationships of gay and lesbian
couples with marriage, civil unions and possibly domestic
partnerships.
Anthony Pugliese, who along with his
partner of 15 years, Alex Mancuso, is raising two daughters, told
WRAL that the amendment is wrong.
“Any time the majority makes
decisions on behalf of the minority, it's hurtful. It's wrong,” he
said. The amendment is “taking a bad law and making it even more
pronounced. It's elevating it to another level.”
A majority (57%) of respondents said
gay couples should be recognized with marriage (21%), domestic
partnerships (19%) or civil unions (17%). Only 37 percent said gay
couples deserve no recognition in North Carolina.
The survey comes just days after
President Barack Obama came out against the amendment, calling
it “discriminatory.”
An Elon University Poll released
earlier this month arrived at the opposite conclusion. The poll
found 54 percent opposed to the amendment and 38 percent in favor.
That poll surveyed adults statewide, while the new poll only includes
the results of likely voters.