Like polar ice melting, Americans are slowly but surely changing their opinions about gays and lesbians.

A majority of Americans now believe that gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable, 52 percent to 43 percent, according to a new Gallup Poll.

Gallup has been tracking the issue since 2001, when the inaugural poll showed that only 40 percent of Americans believed that gay and lesbian relations were morally acceptable and that 53 percent did not.

The 2010 poll is the first time that Gallup has found majority support on the issue.

By politics, Democrats and Independents approved by 61 percent, while Republicans approved by 35 percent.

Those who called themselves liberal approved by 78 percent, followed by moderates at 64 percent and conservatives at 33 percent.

By religion, those who aren’t religious supported by 88 percent, followed by other non-Christians at 84 percent, Catholics by 62 percent and Protestants by 42 percent.

On legalizing gay and lesbian relationships, the poll found that 58 percent supported the issue in 2010. Support was higher in 2003 (60 percent) and 2007 (59 percent), but Gallup’s trend line has generally been moving upward.

On the role of upbringing vs. environment in being gay, the issue continues to perplex most of those polled: 37 percent believed that upbringing and environment were factors in a person being gay and 36 percent felt that it was something a person was born with, while 12 percent thought it was a combination of both.

Bottom line

Gallup pollsters noted that there is a gradual cultural shift under way in Americans’ views toward gay individuals and gay rights. While public attitudes haven’t moved consistently in gays’ and lesbians’ favor every year, the general trend is clearly in that direction. This year, the shift is apparent in a record-high level of the public seeing gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable. Meanwhile, support for legalizing gay marriage, and for the legality of gay and lesbian relations more generally, is near record highs.

To read the poll results, click HERE.

Original posting: http://sdgln.com/news/2010/05/25/gallup-poll-majority-americans-are-now-more-accepting-gays