Changing views on same-sex marriage is often personal, poll finds
Having a friend or family member who is gay has prompted many Americans to change their views on same-sex marriages, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
The poll, released last week and conducted in mid-March, found that 14% of all Americans and 28% of gay-marriage supporters say they have changed their minds on the issue and decided to support gay marriage.
Roughly a third of those told pollsters it was because they know someone — a friend, family member or other acquaintance — who is gay.
FULL COVERAGE: Same-sex marriage ban
The poll also found that more Americans now say they support gay marriage than oppose it. Roughly 49% of Americans now say they support gay marriage, with 44% opposed.
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to take up the question of gay marriage Tuesday morning when it hears arguments on Proposition 8, the 2008 California ballot measure that defined marriage as only between a man and a woman.
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