A large majority of Americans says gay
and lesbian couples should have the legal right to adopt children.
When
pollster Gallup asked 1,028 adults, “Do you think same-sex
couples should or should not have the legal right to adopt a child?”
63 percent said “yes, should” while 35 percent said “no, should
not.”
That's a 34 percent increase in support
since 1992, the year Gallup introduced the question.
Support for gay parenting has increased
at a faster pace than support for marriage equality, currently at 55
percent according to Gallup's findings.
“In general, adults in the U.S.
continue to be more supportive of same-sex parenting than legal
recognition of same-sex relationships or comfortableness with
same-sex sexual behavior,” said Gary Gates of the Williams
Institute at the UCLA School of Law, which studies policy as it
relates to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. “Laws in
the U.S. have reflected this pattern in public support. Many states
in the U.S. that have not formally repealed sodomy laws, despite the
U.S. Supreme Court declaring such statutes unconstitutional, and that
do not recognize marriage for same-sex couples include jurisdictions
that allow same-sex couples to adopt children.”
Support is highest among Democrats
(80%), but even a narrow majority (51%) of Republicans say gay
couples should be allowed to adopt children.