New polls show that in two states where marriage equality is on the forefront, the residents have strong majority support for same sex marriage.
A record 61 percent of Californians now approve of allowing same-sex couples to marry.
The Field Poll found 78 percent support among people 39 and younger and 56 percent of middle-aged residents now back gay marriage. Even among senior citizens there is 48 percent support.
The overall results represent a reversal in views in the 36 years the Field Poll has been taking surveys on gay marriage. When the first survey was conducted in 1977, only 28 percent approved of gay marriage, while 59 percent were opposed.
The most recent survey found broad-based support, with the majority of most subgroups within the survey saying they favor gay marriage – men and women, all racial and ethnic groups, and each major region of the state.
In Rhode Island, a Brown University poll finds 60 percent of those surveyed support legalizing gay marriage.
The poll released Thursday finds that 26 percent of people asked oppose legalizing same-sex marriage. The remainder either didn’t give an answer, said they didn’t know, or it depends.
The poll conducted Feb. 21-23 surveyed a random sample of 593 registered Rhode Island voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Rhode Island is the only New England state where gay marriage is not legal.
The House of Representatives has passed legislation that would allow it. The bill is awaiting consideration in the Senate, where Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed opposes it.
