As the nation awaits a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that could effectively legalize gay marriage throughout the country, it seems that an issue that once polarized the public is no longer the controversial concern it once was.
A new poll conducted by the NBC and the Wall Street Journal reveals that public opinion on the issue of same-sex marriage has stayed stagnant in the equality movement’s favor. In the months leading up to the historic SCOTUS ruling, the poll found that respondents’ point of view underwent hardly any change, with a majority of 57 percent now favoring the legalization of gay marriage.
Here is the response to a poll question about the SCOTUS decision.
The U.S. Supreme court could decide that gays have a constitutional right to marry which would have the effect of legalizing gay marriage throughout the country. Would you favor or oppose the Supreme Court taking this action? (IF “FAVOR” OR “OPPOSE,” ASK:) Do you feel strongly about that, or not?
Screengrab courtesy of NBC News/Wall Street Journal
While the majority of respondents on both sides of the issue stated they feel strongly about their position, the lack of significant movement in the poll suggests that the public has tired of the debate.
The poll did find that public feeling was divided along ideological differences: 74 percent of Democrats and 62 percent of independents stated that they favored a SCOTUS ruling legalizing gay marriage, while only 33 percent of Republicans favored such a ruling.
The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted June 14-18 and featured 1,000 adults.
Photo via Tim Evanson/Flickr (CC BY SA 2.0)