NEW YORK — An increasing majority of Americans favors allowing same-sex couples to obtain most of the same rights as married straight couples, but only 39 percent support legalization of same-sex marriage, according to a poll released Friday.
The Pew Research Center said support for civil unions has risen to 57 percent, up from 54 percent a year ago and 45 percent when the question was first asked by Pew in 2003.
Views on legalizing same-sex marriage remained almost unchanged from last year, with 53 percent opposed and 39 percent in favor, the center said.
There was more support for same- sex marriage among women, adults younger than 30 and college-educated people than there was among men, older adults and those who did not attend college.
The telephone survey of 4,013 adults was conducted in August. The margin of error for the full sample was 2 percentage points.
