Editor’s note: See update that the bottom.
Yet another new poll, this one released Tuesday morning by CNN/Opinion Research, shows majority approval in the United States for same-sex marriage. This is the fourth major nationwide poll in less than a year to find a majority of Americans support marriage for same-gender couples. Previously, an ABC News/Washington Post poll found 53% support for same-sex marriage, and an AP/Roper poll, along with a CNN poll last summer, both found 52% support for marriage equality.
Today’s CNN/Opinion Research poll found 51% of Americans think marriages between gay and lesbian couples should be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages, while 47% thought they should not.
Read: “Majority Of U.S. – Including Catholics – Now Support Same-Sex Marriage“
The poll found a majority of women — 57% — and a majority of both white and non-white respondents support marriage equality, along with 60% of those under the age of 50. 59% of those who attended college and/or made $50,000 a year or more also support full marriage equality.
The greatest disparity was in political affiliation. 64% of Democrats, and 55% of Independents support same-sex marriage, while only 27% of Republicans do, with a whopping 71% of Republicans answering that gay and lesbian couples should not be afforded marriage equality.
Majority support also came from those in the Northeast (55%), the Midwest (54%), and the West (61%), with only support from the South (41%) in the minority.
Those who identified as members of the Tea Party opposed same-sex marriage by 76% to 31%.
Read: “NOM’s Numbers Problem With Marriage Equality Polls“
Meanwhile, a poll released last month found a large majority of American Catholics — 71% — support civil marriage equality for same-sex couples. The report also found that almost half of Catholics, 43%, support allowing gay couples to marry regardless of type of ceremony (civil or religious,) and 31% of American Catholics support allowing same-sex couples to have civil unions, and 74% believe that same-sex relationships should be accepted by society. Additionally, the report found that a majority of American Catholics (56%) believe same-gender sexual relations is not a sin, as opposed to the teachings of their church.
Monday, Speaker of the House John Boehner agreed to spend $500,000 to defend DOMA, the 1996 law already declared unconstitutional by a federal court judge, the Department of Justice, and President Obama.
UPDATE: 3:55 PM:
Oddly, as pointed out in this piece from OurTime, CNN only interviewed “adult Americans” aged 35 and up. So, while this poll is good news, it doesn’t display the true picture of support for same-sex marriage, as we know that overwhelmingly, across all demographics, support for marriage equality is higher in those under 35 than 35 and over.