Poll: New Yorkers Back Recognizing Gay Marriages

New Yorkers favor their governor’s order to recognize out of-state same-sex marriages by a 13-point margin, a new poll reveals. By 53%-40%, state residents agree with David Paterson's order—though only 43% said gays should be allowed to marry, the Times reports, with 31% favoring civil unions and 21% rejecting recognition of homosexual couples altogether.

But New Yorkers also said, by a 55%-30% margin, that the legislature should have made the call. They also weighed in on who they'd like in the governor's mansion after the 2010 election, with  Michael Bloomberg topping the list at 30%. Rudy Giuliani drew 26%, and 23% say Paterson should be kept on. (More gay marriage stories.)