Support for same-sex marriage falls across the board as GOP leans into anti-LGBTQ rhetoric
While support for same-sex marriage remains high overall, it's been dropping over the last three years following GOP attacks on the LGBTQ community.
According to a new Gallup poll, overall support for same-sex marriage is at 69% among Americans. While that's strong, it's down two percentage points from 2022, when support hit a record high of 71%.
Gallup's data on Americans' approval for same-sex marriage over time.[/caption]
The dip can be seen across the political spectrum. When asked if marriage equality should be legal, Republicans' support fell to 46% from a high of 55% in 2021 and 2022. But support even fell among Democrats and independent voters asked the same question.
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While both demographics still overwhelmingly support marriage equality, it's started to fall over that same period. In 2022, a record high percentage of Democrats, 87%, thought same-sex marriage should be legal. That fell 4% to 83% this year.
As for independents, in 2023, a record 77% supported marriage equality. But this year, it's dipped 3% to 74%.
Gallup's data on Americans' approval for same-sex marriage over time broken out by party affiliation.[/caption]
The percentage of Americans who think homosexuality is morally acceptable has also fallen since 2022's record high. In that year, 71% thought it was morally OK to be gay, but that fell to 64% last year, and held steady at that lower number this year.
Unlike marriage equality, when the question was broken out by political affiliation, the percentage of Democrats rose since last year. In 2024, 81% of Democrats felt homosexuality was morally acceptable, an increase from 2023's 79% — but still down from 2022's high of 85%. Independents fell 6% to 68% when compared to last year, while Republicans only fell a single point to 40% over the same period.
The poll was conducted via phone last month. It has a sample size of 1,024 adults, and has 4% margin of error.
While Republican politicians generally have not been pro-LGBTQ, attacks against the community have increased in the last few years. Republicans have banned Pride month displays at U.S. embassies and on public infrastructure. Former President Donald Trump says if he's re-elected, he'd end protections for queer students.
Right-wing figures like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito have framed the fight for equal rights as being anti-religious. Many states have attempted to pass drag bans. And the conservative majority of the Supreme Court has signaled it may repeal the Obergefell decision legalizing same-sex marriage.