But supporters of same-sex marriage said the Pew poll reflects a growing acceptance of such unions and a shift in attitudes, as more Americans have gay friends, relatives and co-workers. Pew found that nearly nine out of 10 Americans know someone who is gay, and half said a close friend or relative is gay. The poll said people with gay and lesbian acquaintances are more likely to support same-sex marriage than people who say they don't know anyone who is gay.
"It's clear that is not a wedge issue anymore," said Fred Sainz, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, which advocates changing laws to recognize same-sex marriages. "Not only are Americans supportive of marriage equality, even those who are opposed to it view it as inevitable. That's a proxy for their eventual support, in my opinion."
Sainz said opposition to gay marriage often crumbles when people learn how many people they live and work among are gay. "When you get to know them, you quickly find the myths propagated against gay people by our opponents are not true," he said. "My goal is to get to the point where gay people are thought to be as dull and boring as everyone else, because we are."