Following an unprecedented surge in support for marriage equality nationwide, Floridians have expressed strong support for marriage equality or civil unions in the Sunshine State.
According to a poll conducted by Public Policy Polling, 75% of Florida voters are in favor of letting same-sex couples legally wed or be allowed to form civil unions. Only 23% opposed any kind of legal recognition of same-sex couples’ relationships.
Within that poll, just 25% of registered Republicans opposed recognition of gay relationships while 53% supported civil unions. Only 21% of Republicans favored legalizing same-sex marriage, according to the poll, which was conducted March 15-18.
Another poll released on March 21 by the Public Religion Research Institute also found a majority of Floridians favoring the recognition of same sex relationships by the government. 54% of Floridians favored marriage equality, which is similar to the 52% favoring equality nationwide, according to the poll.
Earlier this month, an ABC News/Washington Post poll found a staggering 58% of Americans think gay and lesbian couples should be granted full marriage, which is the highest number ever reported in a poll concerning marriage equality.
In 2008, more than 62% of Florida voters approved Amendment 2, which added a constitutional ban to same-sex marriages by defining marriage as a union “between one man and one woman.” Recent reports show that the amendment would fail today if it were put before voters.
