A government report has revealed that more than half of
Britons are against gay marriage, and two thirds are against gay
couples adopting children.
The research by the Office for National Statistics
was based on sources including the annual British
Social Attitudes survey and research by the EU's Eurobarometer
research arm, reports The Daily Mail.
Findings by ONS show that only 45 per cent of British
people believe that gay marriages should be legal throughout
Europe.
The figures represent a decline in support since the
opinion poll commissioned by The Times in 2009 to mark the 40th
anniversary of the Stonewall riots which revealed that a majority
were in favour of gay marriage in the UK.
Stonewall's Ben Summerskill told DIVA
exclusively: "We are very concerned that public
support for equal marriage has fallen over the last few years, from
a high of 61 per cent in 2009, despite efforts of some campaigners.
Stonewall will build sustainable public support for equal marriage
and push the Government to introduce it by spring 2015."
The opposition towards gay couples adopting children is
even higher, with only 33 per cent in support.
The ONS report said: "While the majority of British people
now accept the concept of same-sex couples as being rarely wrong,
or not wrong at all, fewer people approve of same-sex couples
adopting children.
"On average females have more liberal attitudes to
same-sex partnerships than males."
The government announced on September 17 that they would
be launching a public consultation in March, to legalise gay
marriage before the next election in 2015.
