Gay Marriage Support Drops after High Court Ruling

American support for same-sex marriage has dropped since the Supreme Court legalized it nationwide last month.

A new AP-GFK poll shows only 42 percent now support same-sex marriage, down from 48 percent in April.

Only 39 percent of Americans said they approve of the Supreme Court ruling, while 41 percent said they disapprove.

And when it comes to the clash between religious freedom and gay marriage, most Americans believe religious rights should come first.

A sizable majority, 56 percent, said protection of religious liberties should take precedence. Only 39 percent say it's more important for the government to protect gay rights.

That support for making religious freedom the priority is especially evident in the legal battles against religious owners of wedding-related businesses.

CBN News has reported extensively on Christian florists and bakers across several states who have been punished for taking a stand for their religious beliefs.

Aaron and Melissa Klein had to close down their Oregon bakery, Sweet Cakes by Melissa, after being targeted for declining to bake a wedding cake for lesbians. A state official has fined the Kleins $135,000.

Now 59 percent of Americans say religious owners should be allowed to refuse service to gay and lesbian couples. That's up from 52 percent in April.

Meanwhile, there's a very clear divide between Democrats and Republicans on the issue.

Most Democrats, about 64 percent, said it's more important to protect gay rights than religious liberties when the two are in conflict. And an overwhelming 82 percent of Republicans said the opposite.