By now you’ve undoubtedly heard that for the first time, a survey shows that California voters favor marriage equality by a 51-42 percentage margin. The more significant thing is the demographic change that’s driving. Back in 1977, when the Field poll first posed the question, only 28 percent of Californians agreed. What’s changed in three decades? Several generations that have gone up seeing gays and lesbians in the media, and knowing them personally. Both youth and knowing someone who’s homosexual are both the strongest predictors of acceptance — and acceptance directly corolates with age: 68 percent of those 18 to 29 supported marriage equality, compared to only 36 percent of those 65 and older.
That said, if the initiative to change the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage gets on November’s ballot it’s going to be a tough, nasty fight. (A different poll last week, found that 54 percent of registered support the initiative.) Already the fundies have taken out full-page ads in the local papers urging support for “traditional marriage.”
But the phrase itself — the fact that they need to distinguish it from plain old “marriage” — shows how they’re fighting what ultimately will be a losing battle.
My take-away from it all: visibility matters. Kids today see gays and lesbians in the media and in person. I’m not quite as optimistic as Jenny Boylan that you can’t hate someone who’s story you know, but the fundies are right to be freaking out over the increased public visibility of gays and lesbians. It has normalized what was once the unspeakable.
I realize that not every trans person — whether you’re transsexual, crossdresser, whatever — wants to be out or feels that they can be. But think at least give it some thought. Even just being out in public helps people know we exist.
