FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 8, 2013
On Monday, Family Council President Jerry Cox responded to polling and statements implying Arkansans have shifted their views on same-sex marriage and homosexuality.
“If you look at the facts, I think you’ll see very little is new, here,” Cox said. “The Human Rights Campaign conducted a poll on homosexual issues in Arkansas. Their own poll indicates most Arkansans still oppose same-sex marriage, and it shows most strongly oppose it. This is in line with the vote taken in 2004 in which seventy-five percent of Arkansans voted to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Proponents of same-sex marriage are touting the portions of the poll that show Arkansans think homosexuals ought to be treated fairly. If you had done that same poll ten years ago, I believe you would have found similar results.
“Arkansas is the seventh most charitable state in the nation, according to CNN Money. Treating folks respectfully is just part of our culture, but when it comes to the legal definition of marriage, I believe most Arkansans see that as a completely different issue. Seventy-five percent of Arkansas voters approved our state marriage amendment. That’s the poll I think has the most to say about where Arkansans stand on the issue.”
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