GLAAD Denounces “Skewed” Reporting Of NY Marriage Equality Poll Results

GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation today characterized as “skewed” an on-air and online story about a just-released poll on marriage equality support in New York state. The poll, produced by Marist in partnership with NY1, a Time-Warner Cable local television station servicing two million viewers in New York City and throughout the state, found extremely strong support for marriage equality and for making marriage equality legal in New York. NY1, however, chose to present the data in a controversial manner and cherry-picked segments that gave the impression New Yorkers are less supportive than the data demonstrated.

READ: Same Sex Marriage: Poll Finds Majority Of New York Voters Want It Legal

“It’s extremely unfortunate that NY1 chose to broadcast a segment which clearly aimed to insert controversy where little exists,” Rich Ferraro, Director of Communications for GLAAD, told The New Civil Rights Movement via an email exchange. “No matter the poll, what’s clear is that more Americans than ever before agree that committed gay and lesbian couples should be able to marry the person they love.”

“Countless New Yorkers are coming together to speak out in support of marriage equality, while opponents are scrambling to piece together their usual inaccurate scare tactics. GLAAD has contacted NY1 to express our concern about this skewed segment and will continue to hold both New York and national outlets accountable for the information they present,” Ferraro wrote.

The poll, which The New Civil Rights Movement was the first to report after NY1 made it public, finds that 79% of registered New York voters want legal recognition for same-​sex couples, including 51% choosing legal civil marriage when the option of civil unions was included. 28% of New York voters chose civil unions.

However, the NY1 story, titled, “NY1 Exclusive: Poll Finds New Yorkers Are Evenly Divided Over Same-Sex Marriage,” chose to mesh support for civil unions with a “no” vote on marriage equality, clearly mixing data.

 

NY1 needs to work harder to reflect the values not only of the community it serves, which is among the most-diverse in the world, but needs to imbue the values that a 21st century America should be embracing: truth, diversity, and equality.

 

The question itself is leading. A fairer question would have been, “Do you think that marriage should be between a man and a woman, or should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?,” for instance.

Majorities favoring legal civil same-​sex marriage included Democrats (57%), Liberals (69%), Moderates (55%), NYC residents (56%), suburban residents (53%), college graduates (61%), Whites (57%), women (55%), and those under 45 (51%).

No majority of any demographic said there should be no legal recognition for same-​sex couples.

“New Yorkers are split right down the middle over whether the state should legalize homosexual marriage,” the NY1 report starts out, incorrectly mixing data from the question of defining “marriage,” with the data demonstrating strong support for both same-sex marriage and legal recognition of same-sex unions.

READ: Is There Anyone Left In New York Who Does Not Support Same Sex Marriage?

Additionally, “homosexual marriage” is an inflammatory and derogatory term and NY1 certainly should know better.

“While 50 percent of respondents say gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry, 25 percent say they should be able to form civil unions only and 25 percent say there should be no legal recognition.

“That question asks New Yorkers what they want the state Legislature to do.”

Yet the poll offered civil unions as an option, which the state legislature is not debating, so the question should not have been asked in that format.

“Advocates paint themselves as plain couples just wanting the same rights as everyone else, while opponents warn of “consequences,” the story continues, unfairly and incorrectly. “Advocates” are not “painting” ourselves in any manner — we’re not pretending to be someone we’re not. “Painting” is another inflammatory term and gives the impression same-sex marriage proponents — which include heterosexual allies — are trying to get something that we do not deserve, and that we have to pretend to be something we’re not to obtain civil rights that should be afforded to all.

NY1 needs to correct the segment and offer “advocates” an opportunity to rebut the skewed and inflammatory report. Additionally, NY1 needs to work harder to reflect the values not only of the community it serves, which is among the most-diverse in the world, but needs to imbue the values that a 21st century America should be embracing: truth, diversity, and equality.

It should also be noted that last month, another Sienna poll of New York state voters showed immense support for same-​sex marriage across almost every major demographic, including 58% total support, a comfortable majority. The poll shows majority support for marriage equality from Democrats (65%), Independents (61%), women (60%), men (56%), whites (62%), Latinos (54%), Catholics (57%), and Jews (56%). Surprisingly, by geographic area, what is generally considered the more conservation region of upstate New York polled the highest, with 62%, followed by the suburbs at 60%, and New York City, often perceived as the most liberal part of the state, polling at a majority, albeit slimmer, at 54%.