Poll: Most Americans Say There’s No Turning Back on Same-Sex Marriage

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments next week in a landmark case on same-sex marriage, but most Americans already have made up their minds: There’s no turning back.

In a nationwide USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll, those surveyed say by 51%-35% that it’s no longer practical for the Supreme Court to ban same-sex marriages because so many states have legalized them. One reason for a transformation in public views on the issue: Close to half say they have a gay or lesbian family member or close friend who is married to someone of the same sex.

In the survey, a majority, 51%-35%, favor allowing gay men and lesbians to marry, and those who support the idea feel more strongly about it than those who oppose it: 28% “strongly favor” same-sex marriage, 18% “strongly oppose” it. Fourteen percent are undecided.

Next week, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in cases from Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee on whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, or whether states have the right to ban the practice.