Having gay child not upsetting for most.

• Position: LGBT

The Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage nationwide came with growing public support over the past decade, and serves as a stark reminder of how social norms in the U.S. continually are evolving.

In a 1985 Los Angeles Times survey, 89% of American adults said they would be upset if this occurred, and nine percent said they would not be. Today, 57% say they would not be upset if they had a child come out as gay or lesbian, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C.

The change in attitudes toward having a gay child reflects broader shifts in views of homosexuality. Some 63% of American now maintain homosexuality should be accepted by society, compared with 46% in 1994, when 49% of the public said society should discourage homosexuality.

Millennials are the least likely to say they would be upset (29%) if their child told them he or she was gay or lesbian, but the older the respondents, the more likely they are to say the moment would be a difficult one: 36% of Gen Xers say they would be upset, as would 47% of Baby Boomers and 55% of Silents.

The question on learning a child is gay or lesbian largely is hypothetical (it was asked of adults with children and without), and this especially is true for Millennials. The oldest Millennial today is 34 years old, and a survey of LGBT Americans found that the median age for coming out to a family member or close friend was 20.

An important milestone for many gay men and lesbians is telling their...