Almost one in
three adults globally believe people of the same sex should be
allowed to marry, a survey of almost 100,000 people in 65
countries showed on Tuesday.
Some 32 per cent said same-sex marriage should be legal,
while 45 per cent said it should not be, and the remaining 23
per cent replied they did not know, the International Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) survey
said.
The rights group said a breakdown of the results
highlighted deep regional divisions.
Only 19 per cent of respondents in Africa and 26 per cent in
Asia said they approved of same-sex marriage, against 35 per cent
in the Americas, 41 per cent in Europe and 56 per cent in Oceania
the online survey found.
These divisions reflect that rights advocates in Africa and
Asia have focused on more pressing issues, such as fighting
discrimination against gays rather than promoting acceptance of
same-sex marriage, said study co-author Aengus Carroll.
"This is so far off the agenda for Africa and Asia," Carroll
told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
An ILGA survey published earlier this year found two-thirds
of adults would be upset if their child told them they were in
love with someone of the same sex.
Gay couples are legally recognised in more than 20 world
countries, mostly in Europe and the Americas.
