 President Obama's leadership on marriage equality is proving to have a major impact on national organizations and local polling. Anti-equality forces set a new record, but it's probably not the one they wanted. Andoma is ruled unconstitutional in a fifth federal case. At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for May 28th, 2012. There have been more high-profile endorsements for marriage equality, starting with the NAACP. NAACP President and CEO Ben Jealous told reporters, quote, The NAACP's position on marriage equality is deeply rooted in the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution and equal protection of all people. End quote. Within days of that announcement, former Secretary of State Colin Powell stated his support for President Barack Obama's endorsement of marriage equality. Powell told CNN that this, quote, it seems to me, is the way we should be moving in this country, unquote. These attitudes are becoming increasingly commonplace. A new poll shows Americans support marriage equality by a margin of 53 to 39 percent. That puts anti-equality forces at their lowest ever recorded levels. Those national numbers are consistent with new numbers coming out of individual states. In Maryland, marriage is likely to be on the ballot this fall, and a new survey shows voters upholding equality by 57 to 37 percent. Among Maryland's African-Americans, 55 percent say that they'll vote for the marriage equality law, with 36 percent opposed. That's a complete reversal from two months ago, when the measure was losing, by 39 to 56. A federal district court in California has ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act violates the United States Constitution. Judge Claudia Wilkins' ruling was based heavily on AFER's victories in the case against Proposition 8. As multiple judges have now found with Proposition 8, Wilkins ruled that DOMA does not advance a legitimate government interest. This is now the fifth federal case in which a court has ruled against DOMA. The decision is likely to be stayed pending appeal. For more on AFER's federal case to overturn Proposition 8, visit AFER.org. At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and we'll see you next week.