A poll released Monday shows a slight
decline in support for allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.
Pollsters at the Pew Research Center
asked 2,002 adults whether they support marriage equality.
Forty-nine percent said they did, a 5 percent drop from a similar
poll the organization conducted in February. Opposition increased
from 39 percent in February to 41 percent this month.
Researchers said in publishing their
findings that it was too early to draw any conclusions.
“Since we've seen this upward trend
for so long, we're cautious because it's too early to say what this
means for long-term trends,” said Pew researcher Jessica Martinez.
“As we continue to ask this question in other surveys, we'll keep
an eye on where this moves.”
Forty-seven percent of respondents also
said that wedding-related businesses, such as caterers and bakers,
that oppose marriage equality for religious reasons should be allowed
to refuse service to gay couples.