Even as a majority of Americans overall support the idea of allowing same-sex couples to marry, a poll released early Friday showed that a sizable majority of Republicans nationwide remain opposed to gay nupitals.
The latest findings from the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed that 53 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage while 42 percent are opposed. That’s a 2-point jump in support since the NBC/WSJ poll in December of 2012 and a 4-point improvement since March of 2012. A number of recent polls have shown majority support for gay marriage nationwide, including an ABC News/Washington Post survey last month that showed a new high of 58 percent of Americans in support.
But even as attitudes continue to shift among most Americans, Republicans have been slow to embrace the change. The NBC/WSJ poll showed that 66 percent of Republicans are opposed to same-sex marriage — a stark contrast to the 73 percent of Democrats who support giving gay and lesbian couples the right to tie the knot. That level of opposition may place national Republican leaders who are trying to soften the party’s stance on issues related to gay rights in an awkward position. As TPM has previously reported, a number of state and local GOP officials have already signaled that they are not on board with the party’s newfound outreach efforts to the LGBT community.
The PollTracker Average shows a majority of Americans in support of gay marriage.
