After years of beating the drums against same-sex marriage, opponents of the idea in Arizona appear to be losing their grip on public attitudes toward the issue. By a ratio of 55 percent to 35percent, Arizonans say they favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry.

Majorities in the followinggroups appear to have locked arms in support of such unions: women (60%), Hispanics (75%),liberals (67%), moderates (64%), registered Independents (64%), Democrats (70%), and votersunder 55 years of age (60%).A plurality of voters over 54 years of age also favor allowing such unions (46%); while 40percent remain in opposition.Finally, opposition to same-sex marriage divides Republican voters, with 53 percent opposed but 36 percent now in favor. Similarly, while 51 percent of political conservatives are opposed, 41 percent favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.

(The poll also found majority support for allowing marijuana for personal, non – medical use).

It is perhaps ironic that as support for same-sex marriage and defelonization of marijuanahave long been albatrosses which conservative candidates could hang around the necks of some of their moderate or liberal challengers, it now appears that hard opposition to gay marriage andperhaps even to marijuana liberalization could become issues moderates and liberals can use againsttheir conservative opponents

via Rocky Mountain, Arizona poll, May 2013.

Related articles

• Minnesota Senate Passes Gay Marriage (huffingtonpost.com)
• Wisconsin unlikely to follow Minnesota’s lead on gay marriage (lacrossetribune.com)