Acceptance of the gay lifestyle is the new norm across much of the U.S., with a majority Americans in favor of legal rights for same-sex couples, according to two polls released this week.
A new Gallup poll shows a majority of Americans polled consider gay or lesbian relations morally acceptable. A Pew Research Center poll also detailed over half of those polled said their opinion of President Barack Obama did not change after his support of gay marriage legalization last week.
"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," the Gallup poll's 'Bottom Line' declared.
"While public support has been trending upward, support on all three measures was slightly higher in 2011 than in the new 2012 poll, suggesting attitudes may be leveling off - at least for the time being."
Among those polled by Gallup, 54 percent believed gay marriage should be legal, with the same number considering homosexual relations as morally acceptable. This number is slightly down from 2011 numbers - where they stood at 56 percent - but still suggests a general acceptance of gay lifestyle and legal rights.
The poll also shows 63 percent of Americans believe gay relations writ large should be legal, a significant increase from mid-2000 numbers around 56 percent. The approval numbers also varied by group and location, with non-religious Americans, women, youth and Democrats more supportive of gay rights. Among Christians, 51 percent of Catholics polled said they believe gay marriage should be legal, much higher than the 39 percent of Protestants.
Geographically, those living in the south were far less supportive than those living elsewhere. Forty percent of southerners supported gay marriage with 43 percent saying gay relations are moral. This compared with over 50 percent in the east, west and Midwest pro-gay marriage and at or near 60 percent believing in the morality of gay lifestyles.
The Gallup poll was bolstered by Monday's Pew Research Center poll, which showed 52 percent of Americans polled did not change their perceptions of President Obama after his announcement last week in support of gay marriage.
"Obama's expression of support for gay marriage comes at a time when the public's support for allowing gays and lesbians to marry is growing," the Pew poll release said. A recent Pew poll mirroring the Gallup poll mentioned above showed 47 percent in favor of gay marriage and 43 opposed, a significant increase over their 2008 poll showing only 39 percent in support and 51 opposed.
Among political parties, Independents were the least effected by the President's announcement, with 60 percent saying their view of him didn't change. This was true of 52 percent of Democrats and 38 percent of Republicans. The poll shows Obama's announcement did not hurt his chances among Independents, a vital voting bloc that could help him win re-election in November.
Black voters were also largely unaffected by the announcement - 68 percent did not change their view of Obama - while those who were the most negatively effected were voters over 65 years of age and Republicans.
"Significant pockets of resistance [to gay rights] 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," the Gallup poll said.
"However, they are stabilizing at a point that makes President Obama's decision to publicly support gay marriage much less controversial than it would have been even four years ago."
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