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 Report:
Generation Next Supportive Of Gay Marriage
by The Associated Press
Posted: January 9, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET
(Washington) Generation Next is more
optimistic, more tolerant and more likely a Democratic voter than its
predecessor, according to a new study.
The group's
tilt toward the Democratic Party is far different from the
previous younger generation, known as Generation X, who grew
up during the Reagan administration of the 1980s and was more
inclined to support Republicans.
"This
portends a significant political impact as they get more
engaged," said Scott Keeter, a researcher from the Pew
Research Center. "If they carry their party leanings with
them, that will make a big difference."
Forty-eight
percent of young adults age 18 to 25 said they were Democrats
or leaned that direction while 35 percent said they were
Republican or leaned that way in 2006, according to Pew
polling.
The study
also found a great acceptance for same-sex marriage.
Forty-seven percent of those age 18 to 25 favor allowing gays
and lesbians to marry while 30 percent of those 26 and older
favor gay marriage.
While they
are a generally optimistic group, large majorities think that
casual sex, binge drinking, illegal drug use and violence are
more prevalent among young people today.
Asked about
their generation, most say getting rich and being famous are
top goals.
The study
found that the young adults:
-Are less
inclined to vote than older generations, though young voter
turnout was up significantly in 2004. About 54 percent of
those from 18 to 24 voted in 2004, and 74 percent of those 25
and over voted, Keeter said.
-Have more
liberal views than other generations on questions of race and
homosexuality and immigration.
-Read the
newspaper and follow the news on television and radio less
than those in older generations.
-Keep in
close touch with their parents, both for advice and for
financial help.
-Are
inclined to use online social networking sites like Facebook
and My Space. More than half had used one of these sites.
-Tend to
most admire people they personally know rather than the
famous. Entertainers were twice as likely to be named as
political leaders.
-Have gotten
a tattoo, dyed their hair an untraditional color or had a body
piercing.
The study, a
collaboration of the Pew Research Center and MacNeil/Lehrer
Productions, is based on Edison-Mitofsky exit polls, past Pew
polls and a Pew survey of 1,501 adults, including 579 people
from ages 18-25, taken Sept. 6-Oct. 2. The study had a margin
of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, 5
percentage points for the young adults.
©365Gay.com 2007
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