Those of you who like to note turning-point (or tipping-point) milestones might consider that history could look back on this year as a major one. Several major polls this year have recorded for the first time that a majority of Americans now favor legalizing gay marriage. Now add Gallup:
In the poll, conducted earlier this month, Gallup found 53 percent of Americans saying that marriages between same-sex couples should be considered valid and come with the same rights as heterosexual marriages, while 45 percent said same-sex marriages should not.
A year ago, in the last Gallup survey on the issue, the numbers were reversed: 53 percent of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, while 44 percent supported it.
It's not exactly going out on a limb to predict that gay marriage is going to be an accepted part of the social and legal landscape before too long. For one thing, when attitudes start changing about social issues and the law begins evolving, change tends to be in one direction; we don't often see a reversal. For another, the most striking thing about the poll is the dramatic difference age makes in attitude. Support for gay marriae ranges from 39 percent of those 55 and older to 70 percent of those 18 to 34.
The hope on major changes like this is that they will evolve slowly as acceptance grows, a legislative process insteand of the abrupt changes in direction ordered by courts. Looks like the chance of that is about 53 percent, too.