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Wisconsin: Sexuality

Homosexuality Causes and Morality
Gay Marriage
Civil Unions
Other Homosexual Rights and Legalities
Homosexual Contacts
Adultery

Homosexuality Causes and Morality

Causes of Homosexuality

Poll	Date	Born with it	Acquire it	Both (vol.)	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	37%	37%	11%	14%	511	± 4.0

1 "Do you think homosexuality is something a person is born with, or is it due to other factors, like upbringing or environment?"

Morality of Homosexuality

Poll	Date	Wrong	Not wrong	Depends	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	58%	21%	16%	5%	511	± 4.0

1 "What about sexual relations between two adults of the same sex - is it basically wrong, not wrong, or does it depend on the situation?"

Gay Marriage

Legalizing Gay Marriage

Poll	Date	Favor	Oppose	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA	January 20-21, 2008	38%	55%	7%	600	± 4.0
SurveyUSA	June 8-10, 2007	35%	57%	8%	600	± 4.1
SurveyUSA	May 11-13, 2007	39%	54%	7%	600	± 4.1
SurveyUSA	April 13-15, 2007	36%	57%	7%	600	± 4.1
SurveyUSA	March 9-11, 2007	33%	61%	6%	600	± 4.1
SurveyUSA	February 9-11, 2007	40%	54%	6%	600	± 4.1
Humphrey Institute¹	June 21 – July 12, 2004	30%	59%	11%	575 RV	± 4.0

1 "Would you favor or oppose a law that would allow homosexual couples to marry, giving them the same legal rights as other married couples?"

State Constitutional Amendment Banning Gay Marriage and Civil Unions

Poll	Date	Favor	Oppose	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll⁴	October 18-26, 2006	50%	44%	5%	508	± 4.0
WISC-TV / Research 2000¹	October 30 – November 1, 2006	52%	43%	5%	600 LV	± 4.0
WPR / St. Norbert College⁵	October 9-16, 2006	51%	44%	6%	400 LV	± 5.0
Wisconsin Politics.com²	September 20-21, 2006	53%	39%	8%	600 LV	± 4.0
Badger Poll⁴	June 23 – July 2, 2006	53%	44%	4%	508	± 4.0
WISC-TV / Research 2000¹	October 2-4, 2006	51%	42%	7%	600 LV	± 4.0
WISC-TV / Research 2000¹	August 14-16, 2006	48%	40%	12%	600 LV	± 4.0
Wisconsin Politics.com²	June 18-19, 2006	49%	48%	4%	600	± 4.0
Badger Poll³	March 23-31, 2004	55%	38%	7%	500	± 4.0

1 "Would you favor or oppose a state law which would constitutionally limit a marriage between a man and a woman and would ban civil unions and other arrangements for unmarried couples that are "substantially similar" to marriage?"

2 "If approved, (the proposal) would be placed in the state constitution. Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state."

3 "There is a proposed constitutional amendment in Wisconsin which defines marriage as between one man and one woman and which bans so-called civil unions between members of the same sex. Do you favor or oppose this state constitutional amendment?"

4 "The ballot this November will contain a referendum proposing a state constitutional amendment on the issue of gay marriage and civil unions. The referendum proposes that: "Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that or marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state." Do you favor or oppose this referendum?"

5 "The Wisconsin State Legislature has proposed amending the Wisconsin State Constitution to provide that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state and that a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state. Do you support or oppose this amendment?"

State Constitutional Amendment Banning Gay Marriage

Poll	Date	Favor	Oppose	No opinion	Sample	MoE
WPR / St. Norbert College²	April 14-21, 2004	66%	27%	7%	402	± 5.0
Badger Poll¹	March 23-31, 2004	66%	28%	6%	500	± 4.0

1 "How about an amendment that said nothing about civil unions but defined marriage as between one man and one woman?"

2 "The Wisconsin State Legislature is considering passing an amendment to the state constitution which states that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. Do you favor or oppose this amendment?"

Federal Constitutional Amendment Banning Gay Marriage

Poll	Date	Favor	Oppose	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Los Angeles Times¹	June 6-8, 2004	50%	41%	9%	694 RV	± 4.0

1 "Do you favor or oppose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that legally defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman only, and would prevent states from legally recognizing same-sex marriages?"

Legalization of Gay Marriage

Poll	Date	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	October 18-26, 2006	37%	56%	7%	508	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	June 23 – July 2, 2006	39%	54%	6%	508	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	January 4-12, 2005	28%	66%	7%	503	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	March 23-31, 2004	27%	66%	7%	500	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	December 2-9, 2003	30%	62%	8%	510	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	32%	60%	8%	511	± 4.0

1 "Do you approve or disapprove of laws allowing homosexual people to marry members of their own sex?"

Definition of Marriage

Poll	Date	Man and woman	Any two people	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	August 10, 2006	63%	35%	2%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Should marriage be defined in terms of a union between a man and a woman? Or should it be defined as a union between any two people including same sex couples?"

Gay Marriage vs. Civil Unions

Poll	Date	Legally marry	Legally form civil unions	Neither	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Los Angeles Times¹	June 5-8, 2004	26%	32%	36%	6%	694 RV	± 4.0

1 "Which of the following statements comes closest to your view? Same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry, OR same-sex couples should be allowed to legally form civil unions, but not marry, OR same-sex couples should not be allowed to either marry or form civil unions?"

Role of Government in Defining Marriage

Poll	Date	State	Federal	No say	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA¹	July 8-10, 2005	16%	29%	52%	3%	600	± 4.1

1 "Who should have the final say on gay marriage: your state government, the Federal Government, or should the government have no say?"

Civil Unions

Legalizing Civil Unions

Poll	Date	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll²	October 18-26, 2006	53%	42%	5%	508	± 4.0
Badger Poll²	June 23 – July 2, 2006	59%	38%	4%	508	± 4.0
Badger Poll²	January 4-12, 2005	47%	47%	6%	503	± 4.0
Humphrey Institute³	June 21 – July 12, 2004	26%	63%	12%	575 RV	± 4.0
WPR / St. Norbert College¹	April 14-21, 2004	51%	42%	7%	402	± 5.0
Badger Poll²	March 23-31, 2004	50%	45%	6%	500	± 4.0
Badger Poll²	December 2-9, 2003	44%	48%	7%	510	± 4.0
Badger Poll²	August 18-27, 2003	48%	47%	6%	511	± 4.0

1 "Do you favor or oppose civil unions for same-sex couples? (Civil unions are not marriages, but would give gay couples rights such as inheritance, health insurance, and hospital visiting privileges)."

2 "And how about (what have been called) civil unions, where (same sex couples / without calling it marriage, people of either sex) can register partnerships that give them most of the legal advantages husbands and wives how have? Do you approve or disapprove of laws recognizing civil unions between people?"

3 "What about civil unions? Would you favor or oppose a law that would allow homosexual couples to legally form civil unions, giving them some of the legal rights of married couples?"

Other Homosexual Rights and Legalities

Legality of Homosexuality

Poll	Date	Legal	Illegal	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	60%	30%	10%	511	± 4.0

1 "Do you think homosexual relations between consenting adults in private should be level or not?"

Homosexuals Right to Housing

Poll	Date	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	83%	12%	5%	511	± 4.0

1 "How about laws guaranteeing homosexuals the right to live wherever they want to, just like anyone else. Do you approve or disapprove of such laws?"

Homosexuals Right to Serve in Military

Poll	Date	Yes	No	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	87%	11%	2%	511	± 4.0

1 "And should homosexuals be allowed to serve in the armed forces of the United States?"

Homosexuals Right to Be Teachers

Poll	Date	Yes	No	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	73%	23%	5%	511	± 4.0

1 "Should homosexuals be allowed to teach in elementary schools in Wisconsin, or not?"

Teaching Homosexuality in Schools

Poll	Date	Should teach	Leave to parents	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	17%	79%	4%	511	± 4.0

1 "Should the public schools in Wisconsin teach children about same sex relationships, or should that be left strictly to their parents?"

Homosexual Contacts

Personally Know Homosexuals

Poll	Date	Yes	No	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	72%	27%	2%	511	± 4.0

1 "Do you personally know anyone who is a homosexual?"

Impact on Friendship

Poll	Date	More	Less	No difference	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	1%	11%	84%	4%	511	± 4.0

1 "If you found out a friend of yours was a homosexual, do you think that would make you think more of them, less of them, or wouldn't it make any difference to you?"

Adultery

Morality of Adultery

Poll	Date	Wrong	Not wrong	Depends	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	85%	1%	11%	3%	511	± 4.0

1 "What is your opinion about a married person having sexual relations with someone other than the marriage partner - is it basically wrong, not wrong, or does it depend on the situation?"