Support For Marriage Equality In CA Reaches 61%!

Wow. It's hard to keep up with the rapid change of popular opinion on marriage equality. The Field Poll, the most respected poll in California politics, has a new poll on marriage equality among registered voters which shows that support is almost twice opposition (61% approve to 32% disapprove). Last year, the Field Poll results showed that marriage equality was leading 59% to 34% in February 2012.

Field puts the latest results in historical perspective, demonstrating the astonishing reversal in public opinion on this question since 1977:

In 1977 the Field Poll found 28% approving and 59% disapproving of same-sex marriages. In nine periodic surveys taken between that time and 2012, there was a steady increase in support for allowing same-sex couples to marry. The latest survey shows 61% of voters approving and 32% disapproving, a record high level of support. 

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Examining the results across subgroups of the voter population reveals that there is now majority support for allowing same-sex couples to marry across partisan, ideological, ethnic, age, marital status and the major geographies of the state.  

A comparison of the changes in opinions among the sub-groups during just the last three years shows a decline in disapproval among all groups and a correspondingly increase in approval of same-sex marriages.  

The only subgroups where majorities remain opposed are registered Republicans and conservatives.  

Opinions are about evenly divided among voters age 65 or older and Protestants. 

I want to emphasize that statement again: "The only [groups] where majorities remain opposed [to marriage equality] are registered Republicans and conservatives."

It's very cool that this poll result comes out in a week in which various parties from the United States Justice Department, major corporations, Republicans, the State of California, pro-gay football players and many others have filed briefs urging Proposition 8 to be struck down by the United States Supreme Court.

Oral arguments in Hollingsworth v Perry are on Tuesday March 26th.