Reason For Growing Support For Legalizing Same-Sex Marriages

Poll after poll has shown there is now majority support in the United States for legalizing same-sex marriage. Even in bright-red states like Texas, there is majority support for same-sex civil unions with rights equal to those granted married couple (the residents of those states just balk at the idea of calling those unions "marriages", for bigoted religious reasons). And this new national majority has resulted in three more states legalizing equal marriage rights in just the last couple of weeks.

This brings up the question of just why this has happened (and happened in such a short period of time). Why are a majority of Americans now supporting the right of the LGBT community to marry the person they love? A recent Gallup Poll (conducted between May 2nd and 7th of a randomly-chosen nationwide survey of 1,535 adults -- with a margin of error of 3 points) may just have the answer.

For many years in this country most people just accepted the views of the religious right -- that homosexuality was either a choice or the result of the way a person was raised -- and not just because they were born that way (and really had no choice in the matter). Back in 1978, about 56% of the population agreed, while only 13% disagreed. This allowed much discrimination, because if the cause was choice or environment, then banning LGBT marriages or adoptions was justifiable. Even as late as 2011, a small majority agreed with this view (42% to 40%).

That is no longer true. Currently a clear and growing majority now believe gays/lesbians are born with a preference for same-sex partners -- and this new majority belief has caused a change in the view on equal rights for same-sex marriages. After all, if homosexuals are born with that proclivity and had no choice in the matter (any more than a person can choose their sex, race, color, or ethnicity), then discrimination can no longer have any justification under our constitutional law.

And this new understanding cuts across most demographic groups (age, sex, race, education, etc.). In fact, only three groups (conservatives, Republicans, and weekly church attendees) cling to the old view -- and even in those groups, more have changed their view. Here is that demographic breakdown, showing how views have changed from 2011 to 2013: