Remarkable 11 Year Growth Of Same-Sex Marriage Approval

The first state to legalize same-sex marriages was Massachusetts, and that happened in 2003 -- just 11 years ago. At that time, only one religious group had a majority supporting that legalization -- those with no religious affiliation. Only 28% of the religiously affiliated supported it.

But a lot has changed in that short 11 year period. Now a plurality of the religiously affiliated (47%) support it -- and every single group has shown a remarkable shift in attitude. White mainline protestants (by a 26 point margin) and catholics (by a 25 point margin) have shown the most growth of support for legalization -- and currently both groups now have a significant majority in favor.

But growth has been seen in every group. Both the Black protestants (with 15 point growth) and White evangelicals (with 16 point growth) showed a remarkable increase -- even though both groups still have a minority approving. Young evangelicals now have a 45% approval. Those are some pretty amazing numbers, and they show why a majority now believe same-sex marriage bans should be scrapped.

These numbers are from Public Religion Research Institute surveys -- the most recent being done in 2014. That most recent survey put general public support at 54%. But a 2015 poll by ABC News and The Washington Post shows that support has climbed to about 61% now. This is the fastest growth and change I can remember on any single issue -- and the support is continuing to grow

This is a battle that has been won. A bad Supreme Court decision might delay legalization in a few states, but I don't see how it can be stopped now. Too many Americans are now casting their lot with equality.