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David Peters, right, and Luke Whited, a gay couple who are joined in a civil union in their home state of Illinois.
/ AP photo
For the third year in a row, a narrow majority of Americans consider gay and lesbian relations morally acceptable, signaling that this is the new "new normal" in public opinion, according to a new Gallup Poll released Monday just days after President Barack Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage.
More than half of American adults, 54 percent, say gay or lesbian relations are morally acceptable -- including 66 percent of Democrats and just 36 percent of Republicans -- while 42 percent think they are morally wrong, Gallup found. Since 2010, a slight majority of Americans have found gay relations to be acceptable. Last year, 56 percent said same-sex relations are morally acceptable.
"Americans' acceptance of gays and lesbians as equal members of society has increased steadily in the past decade to the point that half or more now agree that being gay is morally acceptable, that gay relations ought to be legal, and that gay or lesbian couples should have the right to legally marry," Gallup said.
The level of support over the past few years, Gallup said, "makes President Obama's decision to publicly support gay marriage much less controversial than it would have been even four years ago. Significant pockets of resistance remain -- namely Republicans, those 55 and older, Protestants, residents of the South, and, in some respects, men -- but majorities of other groups have grown comfortable with gay rights."
Obama became the first sitting president to back gay marriage last week, saying in an interview, "for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."
Meanwhile, 50 percent of Americans say same-sex marriage should be valid, down slightly from 53 percent last year. Still, support for gay marriage is up from levels as low as 40 percent in 2008 and 2009. In this year's poll, 56 percent of women and 42 percent of men said gay marriage should be legal, and support was weakest among Americans in the South.
Also, 63 percent said they believe gay or lesbian relations should be legal, and just 31 percent believe it should not be legal.
Support for gay or lesbian relations and rights are strongest among women, adults aged 18 to 34 and Democrats, Gallup found.
The Gallup Poll was conducted May 3-6 among 1,024 adults, and has a margin of error of plus of minus 4 percentage points.
