-- currently allow same-sex marriages . A law passed by Vermont legislators that makes gay and lesbian marriages legal takes affect in September . New Hampshire lawmakers are close to passing a similar bill . `` It 's not surprising that three Northeastern states are the first to take this step , '' says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland , referring to Massachusetts , Connecticut and Vermont . `` A majority of people who live in the Northeast say they approve of same-sex marriage . Solid majorities in the South , Midwest and West all oppose gay marriage . '' Forty-nine percent of those questioned say they have a family member or close friend who is gay . That 's up eight points from 1998 and 17 points from 1992 . Fifty-eight percent of those aged 18 to 34 say they have a family member or close friend who 's gay . That drops to just one in three of people 65 or older . `` People who say they have a gay friend or relative support same-sex marriage , '' Holland notes . `` Most of those who say they do n't know anyone who is gay , oppose
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new national poll suggests a majority of Americans oppose legalizing same-sex marriages , but the survey indicates a vast generational divide on the issue . The recent poll shows that those who have a gay friend or relative are more likely to support gay marriage . Fifty-four percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday say marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid , with 44 percent suggesting they should be considered legal . But among those 18 to 34 years old , 58 percent said same-sex marriages should be legal . That number drops to 42 percent among respondents aged 35 to 49 , and to 41 percent for those aged 50 to 64 . Only 24 percent of Americans 65 and older support recognizing same-sex marriages , according to the poll . While a majority of those polled oppose legalizing gay marriage , six of ten said states that do not recognize gay marriages should allow civil unions . When it comes to supporting civil unions , the poll indicates a similar generational shift . Three states -- Massachusetts , Connecticut and Iowa