July 25, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC - The survey also polled respondents on such contentious issues as gay marriage and suggested religious divisions over several topics could play a significant role in the 2004 campaign.
The survey found that opposition to gay marriage has diminished since 1996, though a majority are still against it. Then, 65 percent opposed gay marriage and now 53 percent are against it.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out a Texas law that prohibited acts of sodomy between homosexuals in a private home, saying such a prohibition violates the defendants' privacy rights
under the Constitution.
The landmark ruling angered many conservatives and prompted several congressional Republicans to call for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages.
The poll of 2,002 adults was conducted June 24-July 8 and has an error margin of 2.5 percentage points, larger for subgroups. -Sapa-AP
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