California is a pioneer when it comes to certain liberties. We were legally selling marijuana out of storefronts before any other state.

But we really screwed up on same-sex marriage. Perhaps the Mormon church, which poured millions into the effort to ban it, hoodwinked us. But now we make amends:

A new poll from Equality California shows that support for legal gay marriage is at new highs.

The organization looked at 800 likely voters and found increases support across the board, including among Republicans, Latinos and African Americans, three demographics that helped to pass Prop. 8, the ban on same-sex unions that is now under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.

According to the data 55 percent of Californians support (strongly favor and somewhat favor) legal same-sex marriage. Those who “strongly favor” it hit a new high of 42 percent.

Credit: California Equality

Credit: California Equality

Among likely voters, Democrats favored gay unions by a rate of 71 percent; only about 31 percent Republicans said they do, but that's way better than the 19 percent who did so in 2009.

A majority of Latinos, 52 percent, said they support it; only 43 percent were down in 2009. African American support increased from 34 percent in '09 to 48 percent.

John O'Connor, EQCA executive director:

California is ready for every loving couple to be able to marry, and we are hopeful that the Supreme Court will rule to restore the freedom to marry. Our new polling shows support for the freedom to marry is strong and broad, and continues to grow.

So if you had it to do over again, California, we know you'd do the right thing the second time around. Maybe the Supreme Court will ensure that we don't have to revisit this historical mistake.

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