Amerins' Support for Gay Marriage Remas High, at 61%

Contents:

• AMERINS' SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE REMAS HIGH, AT 61%
• SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE REACH ALL-TIME HIGH, SURVEY FDS
• U.S. SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE STABLE, AT 63%

AMERINS' SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE REMAS HIGH, AT 61%

A small mory of Amerins (27%) supported legal regnn of gay and lbian marriag 1996, when Gallup first asked the qutn. Adults, who were once holdouts support for gay marriage, now e down on the same si of the issue as young adults.

Wh six months left until Electn Day, the issue of gay marriage has been ls proment this year than the past few printial electns. While Tmp says he oppos same-sex marriage, the issue do not appear on his mpaign webse, and he has been referred to as "the most gay-iendly Republin nomee for print ever" by the print of the Log Cab Republins, an anizatn for gay Republins. The GOP remas the least supportive of gay marriage among the three ma party groups, as strong majori of pennts (65%) and Democrats (79%) say such marriag should be regnized as valid unr the law.

SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE REACH ALL-TIME HIGH, SURVEY FDS

Support for gay marriage has nsistently been hight among adults younger than 30 years, but support cl wh each step up the age sle.

This year marks the first time Gallup's trend that the majory of adults aged 65 and olr said gay marriage should be legal. Twenty-three percent of Amerins say they would only vote for a ndidate who shar their views on gay marriage, while 44% say is one of many important factors.

Thkg about how the gay marriage issue might affect your vote for major offic, would you -- [ROTATED: only vote for a ndidate who shar your views on gay marriage, nsir a ndidate's posn on gay marriage as jt one of many important factors when votg or would you not see gay marriage as a major issue]? Amerins who are opposed to gay marriage (29%) are much more likely than those favor of (19%) to say they would only vote for a ndidate who shar their views.

U.S. SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE STABLE, AT 63%

At the other end of the sle, 22% of gay marriage opponents pared wh 32% of gay marriage supporters say is not a major factor for their vote. The percentage of Republins sayg gay marriage is a pivotal votg issue for them has fallen to 18% -- down om 27% as recently as last year.

Amerins' heightened approval of gay marriage this year mak the issue a fairly straightforward one for the remag Democratic printial ndidat. Tmp might have found an ial climate to n as a Republin wh a somewhat murky rerd on gay marriage, given his party's taperg opposn to and the rced promence of the issue to Republins' vot. Though his opposn to gay marriage remas, he notably ngratulated sger Elton John on his same-sex nuptial and even attend a gay weddg himself a year after his home state of New York legalized .

This is a marked parture om his former primary rival, Ted Cz, who said he'd never attend a gay weddg if ved. Attus on gay marriage, as well as on other LGBT issu, have been shiftg sce Gallup started measurg them. Wh the Supreme Court's cisn last year likely settlg the matter of s legaly, and pecially sce attempts by some lol and state officials to fy the lg were unsuccsful, the re-emergence of gay marriage as a divisive polil issue is ls likely.