Support for same-sex marriage has solidified above the majority level, according to the results of a new Gallup poll released on Monday.
The poll found that 53 percent of Americans think same-sex marriage should be legal, representing the third consecutive reading of 50 percent or above. Forty-five percent are opposed to same-sex marriage.
Gallup noted that support for same-sex marriage is up from 44 percent just three years ago and is nearly double the 27 percent seen in the organization's initial measurement on gay marriage in 1996.
Support for same-sex marriage is strongest among liberals, Democrats, and independents, although even Republicans, conservatives, and moderates have shown notable increases in support over the past two decades.
Gallup Poll Managing Editor Jeffrey Jones said, "In 1996, about the time President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act that denied federal government recognition of same-sex marriages, Americans were decidedly against legalizing gay marriage."
"Since that time, public opinion on the issue has changed significantly, and now it appears a stable majority is in favor of allowing same-sex couples to legally marry," he added.
The Gallup survey of 1,535 adults was conducted May 2nd through 7th and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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