Despite the current political climate and the negativity bogging down mainstream media, many Americans are still kind, accepting people. And when it comes to views on marriage equality, Americans are now more accepting than ever according to a recent Gallup poll.  

The data are the results of the annual Gallup Values and Beliefs poll. The poll, conducted May 3 to 7, 2017, determined that 64% of Americans agree that same-sex marriage should be legal. While this is only a three percent raise over last year’s 61% it is the highest that America has ever seen. 

“Americans’ support for same-sex marriage has more than doubled since Gallup first polled on the issue in 1996, when 27% said it should be recognized as valid by the law,” according to Gallup. “In 2004 — weeks before gay weddings took place in Massachusetts after it became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage — less than half of Americans (42%) felt such unions should be legally valid.”

Support for same-sex marriage was supported by the majority of Americans beginning in May 2011, with the majority of American Democrats supporting same-sex marriage as early as 2004. 

This year, for the first time ever, the majority of Protestants support same-sex marriage. 

“Meanwhile, a majority of U.S. Catholics have consistently supported same-sex marriage since 2011, which is at odds with the Roman Catholic Church’s official position opposing same-sex marriage,” reported Gallup. 

While 64% of Americans say same-sex marriage should be legal, even more support same-sex relations (marriage not included it appears) with 72% of Americans supporting same-sex relations. 

The moral of the story? We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.