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Half of America thinks gay marriage is a constitutional right

Fifty percent of residents said they believe part of the U.S. Constitution provides gay Americans with equal protection under the law, according to a new poll.
Corey Crawford, right, and Jessica Samph smile to each other before their wedding on May 23, 2014, at City Hall in Philadelphia.
Corey Crawford, right, and Jessica Samph smile to each other before their wedding on May 23, 2014, at City Hall in Philadelphia.

Half of the American public believes gay marriage is a constitutional right.

Fifty percent said that same-sex marriages is protected by the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection clause, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released Friday. In contrast, 43% said they don't think the law grants gay and lesbian couples the legal right to wed.

Americans' support for gay marriage reached a record high in March when 59% of Americans of varying ages said they favored marriage equality. The newest poll reveals a three-point decrease in residents' support for allowing same-sex individuals to marry, as the one-year mark approaches this month of when the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Thirty-eight percent currently oppose it.

The numbers in support of marriage equality this year are a big jump from a similar survey in 2004 that depicted just 32% of Americans favoring gay rights.

Pennsylvania last month became the 19th state -- and the last in the Northeast -- to legalize same-sex weddings. This week, Seattle, Wash., was voted the most gay-friendly city in America.