Polling suggest major shift in Michigan voters' attitudes towards gay rights and marriage

In 2004, Michigan voters adopted a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage by a 58% to 42% margin. Now polling suggests a nearly even split on the issue, with 46.5% in favor of same-sex marriage rights and 48% opposed.

The shift is even more profound when you look at other issues:

92.2% believe that same-sex partners should have hospital visitation rights, while only 6% are opposed.

70.9% favor inheritance rights when a gay or lesbian partner is deceased, while only 26% are opposed.

65.5% support domestic partner benefits for government and university employees, and only 29.7% are opposed.

63.7% are in favor of civil unions for gay/lesbian couples, while only 31.1% are opposed.

57.5% believe gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to adopt children, while only 35.9% are opposed.

Why the change in attitudes? Polling in 2004 suggested that only 56% of voters personally knew a gay or lesbian person. Now that number is sharply higher, 80.2%.

Source: The Glengariff Group Inc. poll of 600 registered Michigan voters conducted May 27-29. MOE +/- 4%.