Fifty-five percent of Americans support gay marriage, a new high in the Gallup poll that’s been tracking the issue for nearly twenty years.
Support for marriage equality has been on the rise for years, but only topped the majority level in 2011. Younger Americans support gay marriage in far greater numbers than their older-counterparts—78% of Americans from 18-29 said they thought gay marriage should be legal in the poll, while just 42% of Americans over 65 said the same.
Democrats were also more likely to support marriage equality than Republicans, with 74% of Democrats saying gay marriage should be legal compared to just 30% of Republicans. Independents also largely support gay marriage, with 58% supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage.
The news comes as more states strike down their gay marriage bans; this month, judges have struck down gay marriage bans in Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Arkansas.
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage today; just one year after the Defense of Marriage Act was struck down by the Supreme Court. Federal judges have also struck down gay marriage bans in Idaho, Oklahoma, Virginia, Michigan, Texas, and Utah, though the appeals process on those rulings are still underway. Since June, no ban on same-sex marriage has survived a court challenge.
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