Number of the Day

59%: The percentage of the US public who oppose Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, which "prohibits the federal government from offering benefits to legally married same-sex couples."

The poll, commissioned by the Center for American Progress and Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, asked registered voters this question amid other inquiries regarding their beliefs on DOMA. The poll was conducted by Goodwin Simon Strategic Research and Voter Consumer Research.

Additionally, the poll asked respondents in a more abstract way whether they believe it's discriminatory for the federal government to deny benefits to married same-sex couples. Sixty-two percent of registered voters said they believe withholding such benefits is discrimination.

...The poll also breaks down views on the denial of certain rights and benefits. More than a majority support awarding each of these rights and benefits to married same-sex couples.

The right that the greater number of respondents said same-sex couples should enjoy is hospital visitation. A full 78 percent said the federal government shouldn't deny married gay people from seeing their spouse in the hospital. However, DOMA doesn't prohibit that right and President Obama has issued a memorandum requiring hospitals receiving Medicare and Medicaid to grant such visitation rights.

But the benefit that the smallest proportion of respondents supported for same-sex couples was Social Security benefits in case of the death of the spouse. Even so, 66 percent said the federal government shouldn't deny these benefits. DOMA prohibits this benefit from flowing to same-sex couples.

...On the same day the DOMA poll was made public, the Respect for Marriage Coalition — a partnership of LGBT groups and others working to advance marriage equality — issued another poll finding promising results for marriage equality.

Three-quarters of respondents to this poll, or 75 percent, believe same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, which is up from 71 percent in 2011. Additionally, 77 percent said they believe same-sex marriage will be legal nationally "in the next couple of years" regardless of their personal views on the issue.

I try to resist saying that marriage equality is inevitable, because that tends to suggest that marriage equality will happen by MAGIC! rather than as the result of decades of hard work by advocates for marriage equality. But, acknowledging that work and recognizing it will continue, seriously, marriage equality in the US is inevitable.

Go home, opponents. Burn your Orwellian anti-gay literature that talks about "family values" in a big fire and use your hate money to buy some hotdogs. Appreciate your life and stop trying to make everyone else's life look like yours. Take a nap. You're done here.