A slight majority of Americans favor a nationwide law legalizing
gay marriage.
According to a
Gallup poll of 2,027 adults conducted July10-14 and released
Monday, 52 percent of respondents said that they would vote for “a
federal law that would make same-sex marriages legal in all 50
states.” Forty-three percent said they would not back such a
measure.
Support was highest among self-described liberals (77%), those
with no religious affiliation (76%) and Democrats (75%), and lowest
among weekly churchgoers (23%), Republicans (30%) and self-described
conservatives (30%).
Catholics support the proposed law by a 24 point margin, 60-36%.
Gallup added that “public opinion on gay marriage has reached a
tipping point, whereby the majority now clearly supports it.
Nevertheless, the issue remains highly divisive, as large majorities
of left-leaning, nonreligious, and younger Americans endorse it,
while right-leaning, religious, and older-Americans still oppose it.”