Nearly 6 Out Of 10 Support Legal Same-Sex Marriage Now

This chart displays the results found in a new NBC News / Wall Street Journal Poll. The survey was done between March 1st and 5th of a random national sample of 1,000 adults, and has a margin of error of 3.1 points.

It shows that opposition to same-sex marriage has dropped substantially in the last decade from 62% to only 33%, while support has risen from 30% to a current 59% (nearly 6 out of 10 Americans). Support has climbed a remarkable 6 points in just the last two years.

Of course, most of the rise in support over the last decade is a result of our society growing more liberal in social views. But I believe the rise in the last couple of years comes from people getting used to the idea. Those same-sex marriages are now legal in at least 37 states -- and the world has not come to an end, heterosexual marriages have not been threatened, and no individual or preacher or church has been forced to take part in those same-sex marriages.

In short, nothing has really been changed by allowing these marriages, and all the dire warnings and predictions of right-wing fundamentalists have been shown to be lies. I expect this support to continue to rise in the next few years -- especially if, as expected, the Supreme Court rules this summer that state bans on same-sex marriages are unconstitutional.

Maybe Americans are finally starting to realize that unless equal rights are granted to everyone, they cannot be guaranteed for anyone.