Majority Favors Same-Sex Marriage Says 3rd Poll

Back in March I posted that for the first time in this country more Americans are in favor of same-sex marriage than were opposed to it. A survey by the National Opinion Research Center showed that 46.4% of Americans approved of same-sex marriage while only 40.3% were opposed. Since that post other surveys have shown that those who approve of equal marriage rights actually make up a majority of the population.

A later poll released in March (by Washington Post/ABC News) showed that 52% of Americans supported same-sex marriage -- the first time that such support has reached majority status. Then CNN/Opinion Research released a survey in April that also showed majority support for same-sex marriage. They had the support at 51%.

Now a third poll verifies that there really is majority support for equal marriage rights in America. The Gallup Poll (conducted May 5th through May 8th of a random sample of 1,018 national adults with a 4 point margin of error) confirms the findings of the two previous polls. The groups not supporting same-sex marriage are mainly older people and Republicans. Here are the figures:

GENERAL PUBLIC
approve...............53%
oppose...............45%

DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN OF THOSE WHO APPROVE

Democrats................69%
Independents...............59%
Republicans...............28%
18 to 34...............70%
35 to 54...............53%
over 55...............39%
Men (18 to 49)...............61%
Men (50+)...............35%
Women (18 to 49)...............65%
Women (50+)...............45%

Things have really changed in the last 15 years. Back in 1996 the support for same-sex marriage equality was only 27% according to Gallup. That means support has nearly doubled in that 15 year period. Things don't change very fast in this country (look how long it took to abolish slavery, and then end segregation -- or how long it took to get women the right to vote), but change does eventually come. And we are all the better for it.

I know that some die-hards still claim allowing same-sex couples to marry will destroy the institution of marriage, but no one has been able to explain exactly how this would happen. The truth is that homosexual marriage will do nothing at all to damage heterosexual marriage. It will just allow gays and lesbians to have the same rights as other Americans -- not more rights or special rights, but the same rights (and we should all be in favor of equal rights for all Americans).

We still have not reached the point where all Americans have equal rights. There is still progress that needs to be made -- for homosexuals, for women, and for African-Americans and other minorities. But we are moving in the right direction, and that's a very good thing.