Poll shows declining support for gays

A poll released Tuesday shows a slight decline in support for gay issues since the Supreme Court decision last month in Lawrence v. Texas, USA Today reports. The USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll shows that 48% of Americans support the idea of giving legal recognition to same-sex couples. In early May 60% of Americans supported legal recognition. The apparent shift in support follows the Supreme Court's decision, which overturned state laws banning sodomy between consenting adults, as well as a recent decision in Canada legalizing same-sex marriage. "The more that the movement demands the endorsement of the law and the culture, the more resistance there will be," conservative pundit Gary Bauer told the newspaper. Gay activists called the poll numbers disappointing. "Clearly the debate [over recent developments] has had an effect," said David Smith of the Human Rights Campaign. But over time, he added, "the country always ends up on the side of fairness, and I think they will here too."