Same-sex marriage sees record-high support in U.S., poll finds

Support for same-sex marriage in the U.S. has reached a new high of 70%, according to a poll published Tuesday by the analytics and advisory company Gallup. The percentage, which is the highest reported figure in the company's history of conducting the poll, marks a 10% increase from 2015, when the Supreme Court ruled for same-sex marriages to be recognized across all 50 states. 

"As more Americans see and know LGBTQ people and couples, they see our relationships are as loving, as valuable, and as worth protecting as any straight marriage," Barbara Simon, the head of news and campaigns at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), said in a statement. "It shows undeniable forward progress for LGBTQ acceptance." When Gallup first conducted its survey in 1996, only 27% of Americans said they believed marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by the law as valid. Support has consistently increased over the years, and in 2011, the majority of Americans for the first time said gay marriage should be legally recognized.