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How gay marriage became a major issue for a generation uninterested in marriage
How gay marriage became a major issue for a generation uninterested in marriageThe Fix
By Hunter Schwarz June 23 at 6:30 AM
On the eve of a Supreme Court decision that could decide same-sex marriage in America, nearly three-fourths of Millennials support it -- even as only 16 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 are actually married themselves. The latter is the lowest it's been in at least 10 years.
And it's more than a little ironic that marriage has become the defining political issue for a generation that's overwhelmingly single and perhaps less interested in marriage than those who came before it.
Millennial support for same-sex marriage has always been higher than for older generations, but in recent years, the gap has widened noticeably. In 2005, 5 percent more Millennials supported gay marriage than Generation Xers, according to the Pew Research Center; today, the difference is 14 percent. In 2005, 13 percent more Millennials supported it than Boomers; today, the gap is 28 points. Millennials are indeed a huge part of the reason public opinion on marriage has flipped so quickly.
(via Pew)
Their evolution on the issue is also something that's played out in an especially Millennial way: online. The increased visibility of gays and lesbians is thanks in part to the Internet, which allowed the closeted to find a community and made it easier to come out. And a generation of Facebook users will forever have a red equal sign in their profile pictures album from 2013. Scrolling through sites popular with Millennials like Tumblr, it can be easy to forget there are still people opposed to same-sex marriage.
By Hunter Schwarz June 23 at 6:30 AM
On the eve of a Supreme Court decision that could decide same-sex marriage in America, nearly three-fourths of Millennials support it -- even as only 16 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 are actually married themselves. The latter is the lowest it's been in at least 10 years.
And it's more than a little ironic that marriage has become the defining political issue for a generation that's overwhelmingly single and perhaps less interested in marriage than those who came before it.
Millennial support for same-sex marriage has always been higher than for older generations, but in recent years, the gap has widened noticeably. In 2005, 5 percent more Millennials supported gay marriage than Generation Xers, according to the Pew Research Center; today, the difference is 14 percent. In 2005, 13 percent more Millennials supported it than Boomers; today, the gap is 28 points. Millennials are indeed a huge part of the reason public opinion on marriage has flipped so quickly.
(via Pew)
Their evolution on the issue is also something that's played out in an especially Millennial way: online. The increased visibility of gays and lesbians is thanks in part to the Internet, which allowed the closeted to find a community and made it easier to come out. And a generation of Facebook users will forever have a red equal sign in their profile pictures album from 2013. Scrolling through sites popular with Millennials like Tumblr, it can be easy to forget there are still people opposed to same-sex marriage.
