… The legal patchwork faced by married gay couples in the wake of Windsor now make the state-by-state battles that have been taking place over the right to marriage even more important. In their midst will be sympathetic politicians and judges who nevertheless hesitate to usher in sweeping changes due to the kinds of misgivings expressed by Justice Ginsburg. But a close look at public opinion trends regarding the issue of same-sex marriage suggests that the proper comparison is not the polarizing issue of abortion (and Roe v. Wade), but the once controversial and now settled issue of interracial marriage (and its landmark Supreme Court decision, Loving v. Virginia). Generational trends in public opinion on gay marriage look much more like those on interracial marriage than abortion, and by all indications, Americans are moving toward a national consensus. [cont.]
Patrick Egan (NYU), The Monkey Cage
Recent polls: Same-sex marriage
See also: Egan & Persily: Court Decisions and Trends in Support for Same-Sex Marriage