Our Corner | Remember Civil Unions? The Shifting Middle Ground in the Same-sex Marriage Debate

Why have civil unions lost momentum? At the Monkey Cage, Dr. Robert P. Jones and Daniel Cox explore shifts in public opinion on civil unions over the past decade.

Ten years ago, civil unions were a viable “middle ground” between support for same-sex marriage and no legal recognition for gay couples. Today, some public opinion surveys frame the issue as a binary choice, leaving civil unions out completely. Why have civil unions lost momentum? At the Monkey Cage, Dr. Robert P. Jones and Daniel Cox explore shifts in public opinion on civil unions over the past decade:

Less than ten years ago, a substantial number of Americans believed that gay and lesbian relationships should be recognized, but held reservations about marriage. This group gravitated toward civil unions as an acceptable middle ground. In 2004, civil unions were significantly more popular than same-sex marriage, with roughly one-third (32%) of the public voicing a preference for this option, while approximately 1-in-5 (21%) supported same-sex marriage. Until very recently, it was also the preferred option for Democratic politicians. In 2004, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry endorsed civil unions while remaining opposed to same-sex marriage. Four years later, Barack Obama adopted a similar approach, which he held until mid-2012, when he announced that his views had “evolved” to support same-sex marriage.

As a result, most public opinion polls a decade ago also included civil union measures, either as the middle option in a three-part question or as a standalone question separate from same-sex marriage. As the public debate over same-sex marriage changed, however, advocates on both sides increasingly emphasized a binary choice of support for or opposition to same-sex marriage. As public support for same-sex marriage has grown, particularly over the past four years, many Democratic candidates have shifted their position from support for civil unions to support for same-sex marriage, while Republican candidates generally have remained opposed to any legal recognition of gay and lesbian relationships. In response, some polling firms such as ABC News and Quinnipiac have stopped asking about civil unions, with the assumption that opinion was polarizing into two opposing camps.

Read the full column at The Monkey Cage.

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