Attitudes about Gay Marriage, by Race Among Whites Among Blacks
In 2008, there were sizable differences in opinions about gay marriage among whites and blacks. While whites opposed gay marriage by a modest 51% to 41% margin, blacks opposed gay marriage by more than two-to-one (63% to 26%).
But the gap has narrowed. Since 2008, the proportion of African Americans favoring gay marriage has increased from 26% to 39%, while opposition has fallen from 63% to 49%.
Support for gay marriage also has increased among whites, though far less dramatically (from 41% in 2008 to 47% in the current survey).
Attitudes about Gay Marriage, by Race  | Do you favor or oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally?  | Among Whites  | Among Blacks  | Oppose  | Oppose  | 49  | 39  | Favor  | 26  | Favor  | 96  | OO  | 04  | 08  | 12  | 96  | OO  | 00  | 08  | 12  | PEW individual RESEARCH CENTER Apr. 2003 4-15, 2012. Data from 1996 2001 and 2005 are from  | individual Hispanic. conducted surveys year. Data 2012 from Apr. 2003 data -04 from 2006-11 current survey. represent Whites nnual and totals blacks ofpolls ware non-  | Hispanic. 