The Supreme Court is expected to rule this month on whether states' same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional. But while the ruling will decide whether gay and lesbian couples can immediately marry across the US, the truth is marriage equality advocates will inevitably win in the (unlikely) scenario that the nation's highest court rules against them.
The proof is in the polling. According to a 2015 Gallup survey, 60 percent of Americans now support same-sex marriage rights. Only 37 percent oppose marriage equality.
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Support is even more pronounced among younger Americans. So as they grow up and vote, support for marriage equality is only going to become more ingrained in the American political system.
What's more, support for marriage equality appears to increase in states that allow same-sex marriages. An analysis from the Williams Institute, a think tank focused on LGBT issues, found support for same-sex marriage is rising in all 50 states — but it grew even more quickly in states that legalized same-sex marriages. Some states, like many in the Deep South, are less receptive, but support is growing.
All of these numbers point to one thing: marriage equality will win. The Supreme Court may rule against same-sex couples sometime this month, but it will only be adding a small obstacle to the inevitable long-term trend.
