Americans’ Support for Same-Sex Marriage Declines to Lowest Point in Years: Poll
The decrease is largely caused by eroding Republican support of LGBTQ+ rights.
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Some people in the U.S. are retreating from LGBTQ+ rights support, according to a new poll from Gallup. After reaching historic highs in the early 2020s, support has shifted, driven almost entirely by those who are Republican.
The Gallup poll, which was conducted May 1-17, 2026, as part of Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, found that 65% of Americans favor legal same-sex marriage — down from the peak of 71% recorded in 2022 and 2023. The percentage of Americans who view queer relationships as “moral,” currently 62%, has not been lower since 2016, according to Gallup. And the share of Americans who consider gender transitioning morally acceptable has declined eight points over the past five years to 38%.
Gallup reports that the decline in overall support comes pretty much from Republicans. Between 2021 and 2022, 56% of Republicans supported marriage equality. However, now that number sits at 37%. Independents’ support for it has dropped six points. Democrats, though, continue to support marriage equality at the same levels as in 2022.
This is also true for what Gallup categorized as “gay or lesbian relations.” Republicans’ support has dropped 21%. Independents’ support dropped 8 points, while Democrats’ support has stayed essentially the same.
“As a result of the recent decline, Republicans’ views of the morality of same-sex relations are now similar to what they were between 2005 and 2014,” Gallup notes.
Some Republican-led states have attempted to pass resolutions calling for same-sex marriage to be overturned across the country or to allow businesses to refuse to recognize such unions. However, the Respect for Marriage Act, signed into law by then-President Joe Biden, ensures federal recognition for same-sex marriage.
For support of gender transitioning, only 5% of Republicans view it as “morally acceptable.” For Independents, the number is at 42% and 60% for Democrats. That’s an overall decline across the board from 2021, when the numbers were 22%, 48%, and 67%, respectively. Gallup reports that support from Independents or Democrats didn’t drop off until this year.
“For about two decades, Americans grew more accepting of LGBTQ+ people and more supportive of their civil rights. However, those pro-LGBTQ+ attitudes peaked about five years ago and have since edged downward, mostly among Republicans,” Gallup reports. “The change has come as conservative leaders have pushed back against diversity, equity and inclusion programs that were intended to foster greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ people and other historically disadvantaged groups.”
