SCAN survey shows growing support for gay marriage

SOUTH Australians are leading the way in support for gay marriage, a national survey shows.

Presenting the latest Australia SCAN survey results yesterday, social commentator and market researcher David Chalke said the rapid rise in acceptance of gay marriage across Australia had taken him by surprise.

"I did not expect that to leap up," he said.

"I'd been watching support slowly increasing at 1 or 2 (percentage) points a year.

"Now at 41 per cent, it's (almost) equal to the detractors."

In SA, the majority (56 per cent) of those surveyed said homosexual marriage should be encouraged. A further 11 per cent said they were unsure. The remainder (33 per cent) said it was unacceptable.

"You have been the most liberal of states, ever since the time of Dunstan," Mr Chalke said.

"And faith in organised religion has declined over the years. That may well have held back debate in the past."

Mr Chalke, who is celebrating 20 years of measuring cultural change in Australia, said Australian society was now more capable of accommodating different points of view and dealing with "shades of grey".

"One of the things that has become quite apparent ... is that we are over absolutes," he said.

"We are now actually quite comfortable with paradoxes. We can hold two apparently alternative points of view at the same time and not go crazy ... It's a sign of maturity, almost liberation. We're liberated from the naggers, the self-styled experts who tell us `this is the way'."

He said Australians typically described themselves as "genuine and sincere, hardworking, family people" but they recognised different types of family.

"Family isn't just mum, dad and kids. Family is whatever you want it to be," Mr Chalke said.

"The world is changing fundamentally and one of the consequences is that we're less obsessed with children."

Another consequence of a more "grown-up" approach to the world was a desire to be "treated as adults", with less spin and more straight talk from politicians.

"A bit of honesty, humanity, humility and humour can go a long, long way," Mr Chalke said.



http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/growing-support-for-gay-marriage/story-e6frea6u-12...

Corp Whitie, will gay marriage destroy your life?

Uncle Meat wrote on Apr 5^th, 2012 at 11:24am:



Great argument.  You're saying that because one facet of leftist thought has caused great harm to the institution of marriage (and consequently, society as a whole) we should allow another facet to destroy it completely.

>>>>>>

The majority of Australians are so sick to death of whinging whining gays that they say yes to SSM just so they will STFU and people and governments can get on with important issues.

>>>>>>

Sounds more like it..

FriYAY wrote on Apr 5^th, 2012 at 12:11pm:



Really?  The "majority"?

Any statistics to back this up, or is it just the majoirty of Australians you associate with?

Uncle Meat wrote on Apr 5^th, 2012 at 12:18pm:



Oh.  My mistake.

So what was the relevance of showing recent trends regarding marriage and family?

matty wrote on Apr 5^th, 2012 at 12:29pm:
Isn’t marriage itself unnatural?
Also, god does not exist.

Verge wrote on Apr 5^th, 2012 at 12:35pm:
Thousands of years of religion, and not one fact.