A poll released on Wednesday found that
a majority of Pennsylvania voters say gay and lesbian couples deserve
legal recognition.
Public
Policy Polling contacted 500 voters by telephone from November 17
to 20 to conduct their survey.
Voters who support gay marriage remain
in the minority in the Keystone state, where 36 percent favor
marriage equality and 52 percent oppose it, according to the survey.
(12 percent refused to answer.)
However, when given the option between
no recognition or legal recognition for gay couples, sixty-four
percent of respondents said they support legal recognition, 29
percent with marriage and 35 percent with civil unions. Thirty-three
percent of respondents said there should be no legal recognition of a
gay couple's relationship, while 2 percent refused to answer.
Democrats support legal recognition in
the highest numbers (75%), followed by independents (71%), and even a
majority of Republicans (52%).
Pennsylvania lawmakers last year
defeated a constitutional amendment that sought to ban gay marriage.
A new push was introduced in May by Republican Rep. Daryl Metcalfe.
If approved by two consecutive sessions of the Legislature, the
question could appear on the 2013 ballot.