A majority of voters in 44 states
support marriage equality, a new poll has found.
According to the Public Religion
Research Institute (PRRI) survey, 61 percent of Americans say gay and
lesbian couples should be allowed to marry legally, while 30 percent
remain opposed.
In a landmark decision in 2015, the
Supreme Court ruled that gay couples have a constitutional right to
marry.
“The rise in support for same-sex
marriage, particularly over the last few years, has led to a
milestone: Today a majority of all racial and ethnic groups favor
allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally,” pollsters wrote
in announcing their findings.
Support among white and Hispanic
Americans has grown 10 percent from 2013 to 2017, and 11 percent
among African-Americans.
Only six states remain where support is
not the majority: Alabama (41%), Mississippi (42%), Tennessee (46%),
West Virginia (48%), Louisiana (48%) and North Carolina (49%).
“But notably, only one state,
Alabama, has a majority of residents who oppose same-sex marriage,”
pollsters
noted.