Numerous surveys have consistently shown that Americans' support for same-sex marriage has been growing steadily for some time -- but a new Gallup poll reveals some surprising wrinkles which show room for improvement on marriage equality issues.

NEW YORK -- A patchwork of state marriage laws and the federal Defense of Marriage Act has made the process of unraveling a relationship extremely difficult -- and expensive.

A same-sex couple who marries in one state and later relocates to a state that doesn't recognize the marriage, for example, may be unable to get a traditional divorce. Often, they either have to move to the state where they married to establish residency or dissolve the marriage outside of the court system. Some states call this a dissolution of marriage instead of a divorce.

SUQUAMISH TRIBE, Wash. — For Heather Purser, the first pang came more than a decade ago as she gathered clams on Puget Sound’s Chico Beach, watching her cousin’s new husband assist with the digging. She figured she’d never have a legal spouse to help with the backbreaking work.

Then Purser, a member of Washington state’s Suquamish Tribe who knew she was gay at age 7, decided to act: She led a personal lobbying campaign that ended with her tribal council voting in 2011 to approve gay marriage.

DOVER, Del. — A Delaware state Senator came out as gay on Tuesday while giving an impassioned speech on the Senate floor moments before the chamber voted to legalize same-sex marriage.

Sen. Karen Peterson (D-Stanton, Del.) said she has been in a committed relationship with her partner Vicki for 24 years.