Survey: Support for gay marriage up since ruling

NEW YORK — In the two years since same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide, support for it has surged even among groups that recently were broadly opposed, according to a new national survey.

The Pew Research Center survey found that for the first time, a majority of blacks and baby boomers support allowing gays and lesbians to wed. It said Republicans are now split almost evenly — a marked shift from 2013.

Pew’s survey was released Monday, the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic ruling on same-sex marriage.

According to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, there are more than 547,000 same-sex married couples in the U.S.

Some of the notable findings in the Pew survey:

■ Overall, 62 percent of Americans now support same-sex marriage, the highest level in 20 years of Pew polling on the issue. As recently as 2010, support was at 42 percent.

■ Among baby boomers, support is now at 56 percent — up from 46 percent a year ago.

■ Support among blacks has risen from 39 percent to 51 percent over two years.

■ Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 48 percent oppose same-sex marriage, and 47 percent support it. In 2013, 61 percent were opposed.

■ Support is more than 70 percent among millennials aged 18 to 36, and among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. Support is only 35 percent among white evangelical Protestants, while it is 67 percent among Roman Catholics.

However, among the Catholic leadership in the U.S., opposition to same-sex marriage remains strong. Just two weeks ago, the head of the diocese of Springfield, Illinois issued a decree stipulating that gays and lesbians in same-sex marriages should not be provided with communion or Catholic funeral services.