States and the District of Columbia ranked from lowest to highest in support of marriage equality in 2012, right column, compared to 2004 numbers on the left.
A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA found that Texas is among the 10 states with the lowest level of support for marriage equality, at less than 35 percent.
Polls show Texas has gained support for marriage equality and civil unions steadily over the years, and the study shows a 9 percent jump in same-sex marriage approval in the past eight years in the Lone Star State. (A majority of Texas voters support some form of relationship recognition for same-sex couples — either marriage or civil unions.)
Texas grew from 24 percent in favor of marriage equality in 2004 to 33 percent in 2012, according to the study. Only Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana had less support than Texas last year.
The study found that the country’s overall support for marriage quality had an average increase of 13.6 percent, with more than 50 percent of citizens in 12 states and the District of Columbia supporting it.
Based on the current trend, the study estimates that 20 states and the District of Columbia will support same-sex marriage at or more than 50 percent by the end of 2014.
