A poll released Monday by Gallup shows
a majority of Democrats support gay marriage and that overall
opposition to the institution in the United States has decreased
slightly.
Gallup's latest Values
and Beliefs Poll released Monday found 56% of Democrats now say
gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to legally marry, a 23%
increase since 1996, the first year the question was asked.
Republican support has also increased
to 28 percent, up from 16% 14 years ago.
Overall, opposition to the institution
has decreased slightly, from 57% last year to 53%, while support has
increased, up 4 percentage points from last year to 44%.
“These political differences in
support for gay marriage may stem from even larger differences by
religion,” the poll's authors say.
Eighty-one percent of Americans who
claim no religious affiliation favor legal gay marriage. That
compares to 48% support among Catholics and 33% among Protestants.
While opponents continue to outnumber
supporters, in some states the opposite is true. Polls in
Massachusetts, California and even New York point to a tipping of the
scales.
The poll's results are based on 1,029
telephone interviews with adults conducted during the first week in
May.