July 30, 2013
Gallup Poll: 52% of Americans Support Marriage Equality
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
A new Gallup poll found that 52 percent of Americans would support a law legalizing marriage for same-sex couples across the country, while 43 percent of people surveyed said they would vote against it.
"Across the nation's major demographic, political, and religious groups, support for the proposed law ranges from as high as 77 percent among self-described liberal Americans, and 76 percent among those with no religious affiliation, to as low as 23 percent among weekly churchgoers, and 30 percent among Republicans and conservatives," Gallup writes.
The poll found that 77 percent of Americans who consider themselves "liberal" back gay marriage and 76 percent of people who don't have a religious affiliation also support marriage rights for same-sex couples. Unsurprisingly, 70 percent of Democrats ages 18 to 34 also said they are for marriage equality.
"Others showing less than 50 percent support include Protestants, adults 55 and older, Southerners, and men," the report reads. Only 23 percent of people who said they attend church on a weekly basis said they are for same-sex marriage. Additionally, 30 percent of Conservatives and Republicans support gay marriage.
"The groups showing the most ambiguity about such a same-sex marriage law, with between 51 percent and 53 percent in favor and 43 percent to 45 percent opposed, include Midwesterners, nonwhites, and adults aged 35 to 54," Gallup writes.
In March, a poll by ABC News and the Washington Post revealed that 58 percent of Americans backed gay marriage.
Also a number of recent state polls found that marriage equality support is high.
Earlier this month a poll by the Human Rights Campaign, found a significant shift in the views of Virginian voters when it comes to gay marriage, as 55 percent said they back gay marriage.
In July, a Quinnipiac University poll showed that 60 percent of New Jersey voters favor a bill that would legalize marriage rights for same-sex couples. Just 31 percent said they were against the measure.
