Support for same-sex marriage stays strong as party divide widens, poll shows

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Every June, the LGBTQ+ community and allies celebrate what has become "Pride Month."

WASHINGTON - It's been a decade since the Supreme Court made same-sex marriages legal across the U.S. in its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.

A recent Gallup poll said currently 68% of Americans still support the ruling. 

More Democrats support same-sex marriage, more Republicans oppose it 

By the numbers:

According to Gallup, since 2021, about 68% to 71% of U.S. adults have supported same-sex marriage. 

While overall support has stayed steady, party opinions have shifted. 

People celebrate the US Supreme Court's historic decision on same sex marriage during a rally outside the Stonewall Tavern in the West Village in New York on June 26, 2015. (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images)

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Support among Democrats has hit a record high of 88%, and independents remain steady at 76%. 

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But Republican support has dropped from a high of 55% to 41%, the lowest since 2016. 

The gap between Democrats and Republicans is now 47 points—the widest it’s been since Gallup started tracking this issue 29 years ago.

Support for same-sex marriage was low in 1996, with only 27% of Americans in favor. By 2004, it rose to 42%, and in 2011, most Americans supported it for the first time. After the 2015 Supreme Court ruling, support jumped to 61% in 2016 and has stayed above that since.

Democrats have always been more supportive than Republicans, with independents generally closer to Democrats. A majority of Democrats have backed same-sex marriage since 2004, and independents since 2011. Support has grown among both groups. Republicans have only shown majority support twice—at 55% in 2021 and 2022—but that number has since dropped.

Most US adults believe same-sex relationships are morally acceptable

Why you should care:

Gallup’s May 1–18 poll showed that 64% of Americans say gay or lesbian relationships are morally acceptable. That number has stayed the same for the past three years. However, it is down from a high of 71% in 2022. 

Most Americans have felt this way since 2010.

As with same-sex marriage, Democrats and Republicans are growing further apart. Right now, 86% of Democrats say same-sex relations are morally acceptable—a new high—while only 38% of Republicans agree, the lowest since 2012. Republican support peaked at 56% in 2022 but has dropped since then.

Independents are closer to Democrats on this issue, with 69% currently saying same-sex relationships are morally acceptable. Their views have stayed more stable over time.

Dig deeper:

Even though national support remains high, the growing political divide could put LGBTQ+ rights at risk.

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 In 2022, Justice Clarence Thomas said the Supreme Court should reconsider past rulings, including those on same-sex marriage. Since then, some Republican lawmakers have pushed for the Supreme Court to overturn that decision. 

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President Donald Trump has also rolled back protections for LGBTQ+ people, especially transgender individuals. These actions suggest same-sex marriage could face new legal and political threats.