A Gallup poll released Tuesday shows
Americans are divided on the issue of gay marriage.
Fifty percent of respondents said they
support the legalization of gay marriage, while forty-eight percent
disagree, and two percent don't know.
Support was down slightly from 53
percent in last year's annual Values and Belief's poll, but marked
only the second time in Gallup's history tracking the question that
at least half of respondents said they believe the government should
recognize the unions of gay couples with marriage.
While majorities of Democrats (65%) and
independents (57%) support marriage equality, support from
Republicans decreased 6 percentage points, from 28 percent in last
year's survey to 22 percent this year.
“The trend on Americans' attitudes on
same-sex marriage has not followed an entirely consistent
trajectory,” pollsters
wrote in announcing their results. “While the percentage in
favor increased to 46% in 2007, it slipped to 40% in the following
two years. In somewhat similar fashion, last year's increase to 53%
support has edged back down slightly this year to 50% – not a
statistically significant change, but not a continued increase,
either.”