A majority of Americans believe New
York's gay marriage law is a positive development.
According to a new Washington
Post/ABC News poll published Friday, 50 percent of Americans
approve of the law, which went into effect last Sunday, while 46
percent disapprove.
Age, religion and political affiliation
factored in how people reacted to New York becoming the sixth state
to adopt marriage equality.
Adults under 30 cheered the new law by
roughly a 2 to 1 margin, but a majority (60%) of seniors jeered it.
Pollsters separated Democrats into 2
groups; liberal and moderate/conservative. A large majority of
liberal Democrats (74%) and a majority (54%) of moderate/conservative
Democrats approve of the law. When combined, a majority (56%) of
Democrats favor the law. (The question then is which group is
larger.)
A large majority (71%) of conservative
Republicans, ostensibly defined by the paper as those who align
themselves with the tea party movement, objected to the law. Half of
non-tea party Republicans, however, say the law is a positive
development.
The survey also found a majority (59%)
of Catholics support the law.
(Related: Gay
marriage support picks up steam.)