If a referendum took place today, younger voters would be the most likely to vote in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage in Britain.
The proportion of people in Britain who are in favor of allowing same-sex marriage in their country has increased since earlier this year, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found. In the online survey of 2,005 British adults, 46 percent of respondents – an increase of three points since a similar survey conducted in January – think same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry.
A third of Britons support same-sex couples to form civil partnerships, but not marry.
Fourteen percent believe same-sex couples should not have any kind of legal recognition, according to the poll.
If a referendum with only two choices were to take place in Britain, respondents would be evenly divided: While 43 percent of Britons would define marriage as between a man and a woman, another 43 percent would opt to define marriage as between two people.
Half of respondents say they have close friends or relatives who are openly gay or lesbian. One-in-four Britons believe people choose to be gay, while more than half think they are born gay.
Respondents aged 18-to-34 offer the highest level of support for legal same-sex marriage – 63 percent. Support is at 49 percent among those aged 35-to-54 and 30 percent for those over the age of 55.
Fifty-seven percent of younger Britons also would vote to define marriage as between if a referendum were to take place in the UK.
