Canada More Open to Same-Sex Marriage than U.S., UK

Canadians are generally more tolerant to the idea of same-sex marriages than Americans and Britons, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 61 per cent of Canadians say couples of the same gender should continue to be allowed to legally marry in their country.

In contrast, only 33 per cent of Americans and 41 per cent of Britons say that same-sex marriage should be made legal in their respective countries. 36 per cent of respondents in the United States say that such couples should not be granted any type of legal recognition, and 18 per cent of Britons agree.

Same-sex marriage is currently legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway and Sweden. At least 20 countries offer some form of legal recognition to same-sex unions.

In the U.S., same-sex marriages are currently legal in six states.

On Sept. 15, a group of Democrat lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced a bill seeking to overturn a federal law denying recognition of gay marriage and giving states the right to deny recognition to same-sex marriages performed in other states.

Jane Harman, a Democrat representative from California, said that, “This bill is yet another chapter in the nation’s ongoing quest to live up to the ideals of equality and freedom embodies in the Constitution. (…) Fairness, tolerance, and social justice are principles that we must practice as well as preach.”

Polling Data

Canada

Which of these statements comes closer to your own point of view on the legal recognition of same-sex couples in Canada?

Same-sex couples should continue to be allowed to legally marry 61% Same-sex couples should be allowed to form civil unions, but not marry 23% Same-sex couples should not have any kind of legal recognition 11% Not sure 4%

United States

Which of these statements comes closer to your own point of view on the legal recognition of same-sex couples in the United States?

Same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry 33% Same-sex couples should be allowed to form civil unions, but not marry 25% Same-sex couples should not have any kind of legal recognition 36% Not sure 5%

Britain

Which of these statements comes closer to your own point of view on the legal recognition of same-sex couples in the UK?

Same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry 41% Same-sex couples should be allowed to form civil partnerships, but not marry 37% Same-sex couples should not have any kind of legal recognition 18% Not sure 5%

Source: Angus Reid Strategies

Methodology: Online interviews with 1,006 Canadian adults, 1,007 American adults, and 2,001 British adults, conducted from Aug. 27 to Aug. 30, 2009. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent in Canada and the United States, and 2.2 per cent for Britain.

I recently read articles in Canadian Newspapers stating that Jamaica was not exactly a most welcoming place for gay men either. I wonder if there are any readers from Jamaica who would care to comment.