Opponents of same-sex marriage say that polls fluctuate, and that questions are badly worded.

ECONOMIST: Gay marriage

Opponents of same-sex marriage said winning at the ballot box in strongly Democratic states like Maine doesn't prove a shift in national opinion on the issue.

WSJ: Gay Marriage Makes Gains in States

It would embolden opponents of same-sex marriage and deprive proponents of one of their most potent moral claims in the political process that the denial of marriage rights offends American values of equality.

WSJ: Michael McConnell: The Constitution and Same-Sex Marriage

Opponents of same-sex marriage argue that the equality argument made by gay rights campaigners is a false one and that there are real social risks involved in redefining the notion of marriage in ways broader than the traditional union of man and woman.

CNN: Opinion: Why the fuss about gay marriage?

"Although this result is within the poll's margin of error, it is the intensity of feeling among same-sex marriage opponents that causes the overall result to lean slightly towards repeal, " said Steve Raabe, OpinionWorks president.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Opponents of California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage vow to try again in 2010 in hopes of a different result.

CNN: King: Same-sex marriage debate heats up in New York

In campaigns, opponents have emphasized benefits of traditional definitions of marriage for families and the impact of same-sex marriage on religious liberties in states that have already approved such unions.

WSJ: Gay Marriage Makes Gains in States

Opponents of gay and lesbian marriage are also pushing a federal constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage nationwide, though it failed to gain the needed two-thirds majority to pass when it came up for votes in both the House and Senate.

CNN: Same-sex marriage bans?winning on state ballots

There was no majority apparent for any particular outcome, and many doubts were expressed by justices about the arguments advanced by lawyers for the opponents of gay marriage in California, by the supporters and by the Obama administration, which is in favor of same-sex marriage rights.

NPR: High Court Skeptical Of Federal Marriage Law