Sound The Trumpet : Gay Marriage Gains Ground in Poll As Court Readies Ruling

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“Gay Marriage Gains Ground in Poll As Court Readies Ruling”
by Bloomberd News
June 6th, 2013

More than half of Americans support allowing same-sex couples to marry, endorsing the goal of gay-rights activists as the U.S. Supreme Court this month prepares to rule on the issue for the first time.

Fifty-two percent say they back giving gay couples the right to marry, compared with 41 percent who are opposed, according to a Bloomberg National Poll conducted May 31-June 3.

The growing acceptance of gay marriage comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on two cases about the issue. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Of those supporters, more than half — 61 percent — want a national law rather than a state-by-state approach. During arguments in March, the justices signaled a reluctance to declare a right to same-sex marriage nationwide.

“It should be a national law that is done and over with,” says Kevin Mangum, a disabled veteran from San Angelo, Texas. “Things change, and that’s the way it is now.”

Momentum has grown behind gay marriage over the past decade. Twelve states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex weddings, six in the last year alone.

Companies including Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Morgan Stanley (MS) are urging the court to back gay-marriage rights, as are dozens of Republicans who once held top government positions.

The growing acceptance of same-sex nuptials comes as the Supreme Court is set to rule on two cases about the issue. The higher-profile one centers on California’s Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot initiative that banned gay marriage in the state. The initiative effectively overruled a state Supreme Court decision that had permitted such weddings for five months.

The second case concerns the U.S. Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that defines marriage as a heterosexual union. The court will rule on the law’s provision denying legally married same-sex couples the federal benefits available to heterosexual spouses, such as the right to file joint tax returns.

In the California case, the court has a menu of options. It could issue a sweeping ruling either way — declaring a nationwide right to same-sex marriage or decide that the issue should be determined on a state-by-state basis.

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