Young Republicans Favor Gay Marriage

A strong majority of young Republicans support same-sex marriage, according to a new poll.

Among Republican under 30, 61 percent are in favor, according to the survey out Monday from the Pew Research Center. By contrast, a mere 27 percent of Republican over 50 support allowing gay couples to marry, according to the poll.

The results highlight not only the widening chasm between young and old Republicans but also the growing isolation of older members of the GOP on the marriage issue. A majority of Americans, 54 percent, now favor same-sex marriage, and the trend in growing support shows no sign of abating.

The attitudes of young Republicans toward same-sex marriage are much closer to those of Democrats overall—69 percent say they support allowing gays to marry—than to the rest of the GOP.