While the public is now evenly split on gay marriage, by a 58%-to-33% margin Americans say that homosexuality should be accepted, rather than discouraged by society. Younger adults overwhelmingly say homosexuality should be accepted. Fully 63% of Americans younger than age 50 say this, including 69% of adults ages 18-29. While older Americans also say homosexuality should be accepted, rather than discouraged, the margin is much smaller (47% vs. 42%). Political and religious divisions also remain. Two-thirds of Democrats (67%) and 63% of independents say homosexuality should be accepted by society, but only 40% of Republicans agree (53% say it should be discouraged). Substantial majorities of the religiously unaffiliated (79%), white Catholics (66%) and white mainline Protestants (65%) say that homosexuality should be accepted. However, just 29% of white evangelical Protestants agree, while more than twice as many (63%) say homosexuality should be discouraged by society. Read More

Russell Heimlich  is a former web developer at Pew Research Center.