A new poll suggests that a majority of Illinoisans support same-sex marriage.
Public Policy Polling (PPP) has released a poll that suggests that Illinois voters favor same-sex marriage 47/42, and that support increases among younger voters and voters of color.
Fifty-eight percent of voters under age 45 support marriage equality, compared with 37 percent who oppose it, the poll found. Black voters supported same-sex marriage 60/16, PPP said. Latinos supported Illinois marriage equality at 70/23. The majority of white voters did not support same-sex marriage in Illinois with 40 percent supporting and 51 percent opposing.
Those numbers could be good news for LGBT advocates as many believe Illinois is on the cusp of achieving marriage equality. Two lawsuits filed in Cook County seek to overturn the ban on same-sex marriage in Illinois, and pro-gay lawmakers have stated that a vote on a marriage equality bill could be just around the corner.
Rick Garcia, who has been instrumental in the passage of pro-LGBT policy in Illinois, predicted that marriage equality in the state would come "sooner rather than later."
"The advocacy and education work we have been doing in all communities across the state continues to pay off," Garcia said in a statement released by The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA).
Anthony Martinez, executive director of TCRA, also noted the strong support for same-sex marriage among voters of color.
"That result shows that the stereotype that people of color do not support the rights of gay and lesbian people is false, and we continue to see that as we work within those communities," he said in a statement.
Media reports suggest that PPP is generally believed to be a Democratic-leaning source.
