Majority of Americans Say Same-Sex Marriage Is ‘Inevitable’

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A record number of Americans now support the legalization of gay marriage, a new poll finds, but even more think it’s “inevitable.”

According to the Pew Research Center, a record 57% of Americans believe same-sex marriage should be legal, while 39% think it shouldn’t. The numbers are widely divided by political affiliation: 65% of Democrats favor legalization, compared to 34% of Republicans.

Despite that difference, the survey notes, 72% of both parties agree it will eventually happen. That percentage is largely unchanged from 2013, but is way up from a Los Angeles Times survey in 2004 that put the figure at 59%. While support has increased from 49% to 59% among white people in the last three years, African-American support has remained low, at 41%, up from 40% in 2012.

Same-sex marriage is currently legal in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The Supreme Court is expected to rule this month on states’ recognition of gay marriage licenses.

Read next: What’s at Stake as the Supreme Court Returns to Gay Marriage

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