Support for Same-Sex Marriage and Trans Rights Declines in New Poll

Support for same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ+ issues has fallen from recent highs in the U.S., according to a new Gallup poll, pointing to changing views among Republicans as a key factor in the decline.

Here are the findings: Gallup’s Annual Values ​​and Beliefs SurveyThe survey found that support for legal same-sex marriage, acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships, and approval of gender transition have all declined from peaks reached in the early 2020s.

65% of Americans now say same-sex marriage should be legal, down from a high of 71% in 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, 62% say gay and lesbian relationships are morally acceptable, the lowest level Gallup has recorded since 2016.

Republicans drive change

According to Gallup, most of the recent decline is due to Republicans.

Support for same-sex marriage among Republicans has fallen from 55% in 2021 and 2022 to 37% now. The share of Republicans who think gay and lesbian relationships are morally acceptable also fell sharply, dropping 21 points from 2022 to 35%.

In comparison, the Democratic Party’s approval rating has hardly changed. According to a Gallup poll, 87% of Democrats support same-sex marriage and 81% say gay and lesbian relationships are morally acceptable. The decline was smaller among independents, with 67% supporting same-sex marriage and 64% saying same-sex relationships are morally acceptable.

Support remains higher than a generation ago

Although that number has declined in recent years, support for marriage equality is still significantly higher than it was just a few decades ago.

Gallup points out that when it first raised the issue in 1996, only 27% of Americans supported legal same-sex marriage. Over the next two decades, support steadily increased, paving the way for the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which ultimately legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

Acceptance of transgender people also decreases

The survey found similar trends regarding transgender issues.

Gallup reports that 38% of Americans now think changing gender is morally acceptable, down from 46% when the question was first asked in 2021. At the same time, 57% now say changing gender is morally wrong.

Again, Republicans showed the biggest change. Only 5% of Republicans now say changing gender is morally acceptable, down from 22% in 2021. Among independents, that number is 42%, while 60% of Democrats say changing gender is morally acceptable.

The findings come after years of political battles over transgender rights, including debates over gender-affirming health care, school policies, sports participation, military service, and legal protections.

Growing political rift

Gallup concluded that Americans have become increasingly accepting of LGBTQ+ people and supportive of LGBTQ+ rights over the past two decades, but that trend has begun to reverse in recent years.