Short diary, but I thought it was good news worth sharing.
Almost immediately after last week's historic Supreme Court ruling that struck down a key part of DOMA, public opinion on marriage equality spiked. According to a USA Today poll taken after the ruling, support is now sitting at a record high of 55 percent in favor of allowing same-sex couples to marry. Even more striking is the gap between the support and opposition--while 55 percent support marriage equality, only 40 percent oppose it. It is pretty safe to say that a solid majority of Americans support the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry. And it is very safe to say that opponents of marriage equality are stuck in a shrinking minority.
But, I'm sure the haters won't let polling data get in the way of their belief that America is actually on their side. They haven't yet, and they're surely not going to start now.
USA Today lists some of the poll's key findings:
By an unprecedented 55%-40%, Americans say marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by law as valid, with the same rights of traditional marriage. That's the highest level of support since Gallup began asking the question in 1996. Then, fewer than half that number, 27%, backed the idea.
Last year was the first time a majority of Americans had backed gay marriage.
The only major demographic groups in which a majority oppose same-sex marriage are Republicans (68%) and seniors 65 and older (51%). Even in the South, which continues to be the only region that doesn't show majority support for gay marriage, opposition has slipped below 50%.
The margin is narrower, but still in our favor, when it comes to supporters and opponents of the actual Supreme Court ruling on DOMA.
By a narrower margin, 48%-43%, those surveyed favor the Supreme Court's decision declaring unconstitutional part of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which barred the federal government from providing benefits to same-sex spouses. Views on the issue are intense. Those who feel strongly about the issue split 29%-29% in favor and against the ruling.
The good news on the marriage equality front just keeps on coming.
The poll also showed public opposition to the Supreme Court ruling that gutted the Voting Rights Act (49-40 percent) and public support for affirmative action programs (53-37 percent).