The Boston Globe/WBZ-TV poll of 400 Bay State residents, taken last week, found that 50 percent of those asked supported legalizing gay and lesbian marriages, while 44 percent said they oppose it.

Nationally, polls show that between 35 and 39 percent of people surveyed favor same-sex marriages.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court currently is considering whether to permit gay couples to marry.

The Globe/WBZ poll taken by KRC Communications Research, with a margin of error of 5 percentage points, showed that among those between 18 and 39 years old, 62 percent supported legalizing same-sex marriage, and 33 percent opposed it. For those between 40 and 64 years of age, 53 percent were in favor and 42 percent were against the idea. Those over 65 were 69-21 against gay marriages.

According to the survey, women supported same-sex marriages 55-38 percent, while men opposed it 50-45 percent.

Massachusetts residents are more comfortable with legalizing gay and lesbian civil unions than homosexual marriages. The poll found 58 percent backing the idea, while 35 percent were opposed.

The poll also indicated:

Fifty-three percent backed capital punishment, while 41 percent were opposed. Among men, 60 percent were in favor, compared to 48 percent of women.

A Globe poll in April 1996 found that 65 percent overall supported ''the death penalty for certain crimes,'' while 26 percent were opposed.

Respondents approved of the way University of Massachusetts president William Bulger is doing his job, but many had an unfavorable opinion of him and were split on Gov. Mitt Romney's plan to eliminate Bulger's job.

Bulger is doing a good job, according to 41 percent of those surveyed, compared with 19 percent who said he was doing a bad job and 36 percent who didn't know or refused to answer. Five percent said their opinion fell somewhere in between. Asked their opinion of Bulger, 41 percent said it was unfavorable, while 20 percent said favorable. Twenty-five percent had no opinion and 14 percent said they didn't know.