Support for same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ+ issues in the United States remains a majority position, but has declined from record levels reached earlier this decade, according to new Gallup polling released Wednesday.
The survey found that 65% of Americans support legal same-sex marriage, down from a peak of 71% recorded in 2022 and 2023. Gallup also found that 62% of Americans consider gay or lesbian relations morally acceptable, the lowest level measured since 2016, while 38% said changing one’s gender is morally acceptable, down eight percentage points from 2021.
The findings come from Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, conducted May 1-17. The polling organization noted that public attitudes toward LGBTQ+ issues generally became more favorable over the past two decades before leveling off and declining modestly in recent years.
Gallup said much of the recent shift has occurred among Republicans. Support for same-sex marriage among Republicans fell from 55% in 2021 and 2022 to 37% today, while Democratic support remained largely unchanged at 87%. Among independents, support declined to 67%. Similar partisan patterns emerged on questions involving the morality of same-sex relationships and changing one’s gender.
Despite the declines, majorities of Americans continue to support same-sex marriage and view gay and lesbian relationships as morally acceptable. Gallup researchers said the broader trend reflects a slowdown and partial reversal of gains in public acceptance that characterized much of the previous two decades.
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