Hoosiers against banning gay marriage

A new poll conducted by Freedom Indiana and Bellwhether Research and Consulting shows that 64 percent of Hoosiers are against amending the Indiana State Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

In the 2013 legislative session, Rep. Eric Turner, R-Cicero, proposed House Joint Resolution 6, which would do just that.

The resolution proposed that only marriage between one man and one woman be valid or recognized in Indiana.

HJR 6 provides that a legal status of marriage for unmarried individuals not be recognized either.

This resolution, if proposed again in future legislative sessions, could have a significant impact, not only on same-sex couples, but also other couples in civil unions or who are not legally recognized as married.

Thankfully, the joint resolution died last session in Judiciary Committee by prompts of leadership on both sides of the aisle consisting of Speaker of the House Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis; House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City; Senate President David Long, R-Fort Wayne; and Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson.

Last year the leadership decided intelligently to wait and put a moratorium on social issues, which was largely upheld, even with a Republican supermajority during the last session.

The U.S. Supreme Court eventually struck down DOMA, which denied benefits to same-sex couples and ruled that states have the right to choose.

Thus, the decision falls back into the hands of the Indiana General Assembly for the upcoming legislative session.

This decision to wait was a smart move if these legislators really want to represent their constituents.

By a 64 percent to 36 percent margin, voters say amending Indiana’s constitution is not the right way to deal with the issue of same-sex marriage.

This is true for a majority 57 percent of Republicans, including a 54 percent of “very”
conservative voters and for two-thirds of independents and Democrats.    

Just 28 percent say there should be no legal recognition or rights for gay or lesbian couples, while 38 percent support civil unions or other benefits and 35 percent say gays and lesbians should have the legal right to marry.   

Voters who oppose any rights for gay and lesbian couples are in the minority in Indiana. Even six in 10 Republican voters support civil unions.

Among independents and Democrats, fewer than one in five say there should be no legal recognition of gay or lesbian couples.

This poll and the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on DOMA clearly demonstrate that voters in Indiana want nothing to do with banning gay marriage or changing our Constitution.

The leaders of the Indiana General Assembly would be wise to forget about any legislation that even hints at denying rights or benefits to same-sex couples, civil unions or other marriages not yet fully recognized by the state.

­— andlzimm@indiana.edu
Follow columnist Andrea Zimmerman on Twitter @AndreaLZimm.