According to a new Gallup poll, the acceptance of same-sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. has leveled off after more than two decades of growth, experiencing a notable decline among Republicans. Approximately 65% of U.S. adults now believe that same-sex marriage should be legalized, a decrease from 71% support in 2022 and 2023.
The decline in acceptance appears to be primarily driven by shifting attitudes among Republican respondents. In the most recent survey conducted in May, only 37% of Republicans supported legal recognition of same-sex marriage, while 35% considered gay and lesbian relationships "morally acceptable." In contrast, the views among Democrats and independents have largely remained stable, with most individuals in these groups affirming the legality of same-sex marriage and the morality of same-sex relations.
This growing partisan divide is mirrored in the policy landscape concerning LGBTQ+ rights across the U.S., especially regarding issues related to transgender individuals. There is a notable increase in efforts by certain states to impose bans on same-sex marriage, reflecting the shifting dynamics within political affiliations.
The recent decline in support for same-sex marriage is especially striking given the significant progress made over the past few decades. Gallup's trend data indicates that only 27% of U.S. adults supported legal same-sex marriage in 1996. Since then, support has risen steadily, peaking with around 70% of Americans endorsing its legality in recent years.
Public opinion regarding the morality of same-sex relationships followed a similar trajectory. In 2001, around 40% of U.S. adults deemed same-sex relations morally acceptable, a figure that surged nearly 30 percentage points over the next two decades. However, the latest poll reveals that 62% of U.S. adults now view gay and lesbian relationships as morally acceptable, down from 71% in 2022.
Despite this shift in public opinion, same-sex marriage remains recognized nationwide following a pivotal Supreme Court ruling in 2015. This ruling concluded a 12-year period during which court decisions and state laws increasingly recognized same-sex unions. By last year, there were over 800,000 married same-sex couples in the U.S., according to data from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.
Calls to overturn the 2015 Supreme Court ruling persist, with the court dismissing an appeal without comment last year despite Justice Clarence Thomas's push to reconsider the decision. Additionally, the Southern Baptist Convention has expressed overwhelming support for reversing the ruling that enables nationwide marriage recognition for same-sex couples. An analysis of recent state legislation revealed that lawmakers in at least 11 states have introduced bills aimed at banning same-sex marriage, although most of these did not gain significant traction. However, the Tennessee House did pass a measure that allows private individuals and organizations to refuse recognition of same-sex unions.
Furthermore, recent data indicates a decline in acceptance regarding transgender issues as well. The Gallup poll shows that only about 40% of Americans now view gender transition as morally acceptable, a drop from nearly 50% in 2021. The rights of transgender individuals have emerged as a contentious political matter in recent years, particularly among Republican-controlled states, which have enacted laws restricting gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender minors and regulating the use of bathrooms and participation in sports.
This week, a court ruling challenged one of former President Trump’s executive orders aimed at barring transgender individuals from military service, labeling the ban as illegal.
The Gallup poll, carried out between May 1-17, included telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,001 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.
