If you want to find a divisive social issue, you need look no further than same-sex marriage. The chasm between those in favor of equal rights for same-sex couples, however, grows smaller every day as the next generation of voters has an influence on public opinion.

A Generational Change

A recent poll conducted by CNN shows that the majority of young voters support same-sex marriage. They don’t see gay marriage as much of an issue. Older voters, however, still want to define marriage as a commitment between one man and one woman.

According to the CNN poll,

• 58% of people between 18 and 24 support legalization of same-sex marriage
• 42% of people between 35 and 49 support it
• 41% of people between 50 and 64 want equal rights for same-sex couples
• Only 24% of people over 64, however, support legalization

It’s pretty easy to spot a trend in these numbers: younger people support same-sex marriage twice as much as retirees.

Inevitable Social Change

In a 2010 interview with Larry King, Laura Bush gave her support for same-sex marriage and claimed that the change would eventually come because of generational differences. She couldn’t have been more right. Even young conservatives don’t care much about same-sex marriage. They often see it as a personal matter and think that the government shouldn’t restrict rights to anyone regardless of sexual orientation.

If this trend continues, then the legalization of same-sex marriage will happen within the next two decades. It could even happen at a federal level, which would force the government to extend benefits to the spouses of homosexual employees.