Vermont Residents Support Converting Civil Unions Into Marriages

365gay.com is reporting that a majority of Vermont residents in a poll support expanding marriage rights to same-sex couples.

The survey was taken of people attending town meetings across the state. It found that 54-percent said they support allowing gay couples to marry while 37-percent were opposed.

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Support this year for same-sex marriage showed an increase of eight-percent over 2007.

The commission studying same-sex marriage will present its report to the legislature next month. Members have been close-lipped on what they will recommend.

The commission was set up last year to look into Vermont's civil unions law to see if it is providing equality for gay and lesbian couples and to determine if the law should be amended to provide for same-sex marriage.

As someone who was "civilly united" in Burlington, Vermont in 2000 I follow what happens in Vermont pretty closely, despite being a California resident. It will be interesting to see if Vermont does legislatively expand marriage to same-sex couples whether they institute a new residency requirement. Massachusetts has had equal marriage rights for lesbian and gay couples since May 17, 2004 but also has a residency requirement.