Majorities polled in D.C. back gay marriage, medical marijuana

Nearly six in 10 D.C. residents, including 83 percent of whites, favor making it legal for gay couples to marry.

The broad support for same-sex marriage in the District's white community cuts across cultural lines that divide opinions on the matter nationally. Regular white churchgoers nationwide generally oppose same-sex marriage, but two-thirds of whites in the District who attend services monthly or more often support same-sex marriage.

African Americans tilt against same-sex marriage. Thirty-seven percent of black residents back legal same-sex marriage. A slim majority opposes it, and the bulk of opponents say they feel that way strongly.

But some divisions are evident in the local black community on this issue, with sharp divides by church attendance and education.

One in five African Americans who attend church services weekly favor same-sex marriage, and support rises to 47 percent among those who attend less often. A narrow majority of black college graduates supports gay marriage, compared with about a third of African Americans with less formal education.

The poll indicates that council members Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) and Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7) were representing their constituents' views when they became the only two members to vote against the same-sex marriage bill.

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The new poll found a similar racial divide over the new law requiring retail stores that sell food to charge for paper or plastic bags. Support for the new tax peaks in mostly white wards 2 and 3, and opposition to the tax is widespread in the heavily black wards. Overall, one in three black residents approved of the new tax.

The bill, overwhelmingly approved by the council in June and signed into law by Fenty, is designed to protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed by reducing the consumption of bags. The tax is set at 5 cents a bag, and the proceeds, which are estimated at $10 million over the next four years, will support the new Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Fund.

According to the poll, three out of four white residents support the tax. It appears to be changing behavior across Washington, particularly in neighborhoods with large concentrations of well-educated voters and the areas closest to the Anacostia. Nearly half of the respondents have used more reusable bags since the tax, one of the first of its kind in the nation, took effect.

By geography, support for the bag tax bottoms out in Southeast and Northeast Washington, where a third favor the charge. But Southeast residents are more likely than those north of the Capitol to say they have reached for a reusable bag (74 percent vs. 63 percent).

"I understand it's for a good cause," said Patricia Richardson, 44, of Capitol Hill. "It's caused me to be more green. I keep my bags in my car. If that tax didn't happen, rest assured I would not have bags in the car."

Barbara Mays, 72, said the tax gives her another reason to travel to Maryland to buy groceries.

"I just don't think you should have to pay for a bag when you go grocery shopping," said Mays, who lives in Northeast. "I would have to pay quite a bit because when I go to the store, I get quite a few bags from Giant."

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But Mays said she supports legalizing medical marijuana. Last month, Congress lifted the ban on allowing the District to set drug policy. The council is considering a bill to open up to five medical marijuana dispensaries.

According to the poll, eight in 10 Washingtonians favor allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana, with broad support across demographic and ideological groups.

District residents are split on legalizing small amounts of marijuana for personal use, with 46 percent in favor and 48 percent opposed. Whites are more likely to support it than blacks (60 percent vs. 37 percent).

Over the past year, council members have taken the lead in pushing for same-sex marriage, the bag tax and legalizing medical marijuana. Fenty, who is up for reelection this year, has supported the proposals.

Residents, by a margin of 56 percent to 30 percent, also approve of Fenty's push two years ago to require meters in taxis, although income and race are dividers. Voters part ways with Fenty on whether the attorney general should be elected.

The council approved a bill Tuesday calling for the creation of an elected attorney general position despite opposition from the Fenty administration. According to the poll, 55 percent want it to be an elected office.

The poll was conducted by conventional and cellular telephone Jan. 24-28 among a random sample of 1,135 District adults. Results for the full poll have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.