Ten Years Since the Supreme Court Legalized Same-Sex Marriage
A decade after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision that allowed same-sex marriage nationwide, a significant majority of Americans still back the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling. Yet, current polls indicate a notable partisan divide in support for legalized marriage equality.
In 2015, the United States became the 17th country to officially recognize same-sex marriage. Data from the US Census Bureau reveals that over 750,000 same-sex couples are married across the nation.
The case addressed whether state bans on same-sex marriage violated the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. Ultimately, the Court affirmed that the right to marry is fundamental, effectively dismantling state-level prohibitions.
According to Gallup polling data from May 2015, 60% of American adults were in favor of same-sex marriage just before the historic ruling. Fast forward ten years, and recent Gallup surveys from early May show support has risen to 68% among American adults.
This current support level has remained fairly stable between 68% and 71% since 2021. However, Gallup points out that this overall support masks a more significant shift in attitudes across party lines. Currently, 88% of Democrats support same-sex marriage, the highest it has ever been, while 76% of independents back it too.
On the other hand, support among Republicans has dropped to 41%, a notable decline from 55% ten years ago. This represents the lowest support the GOP has shown since 2016, soon after the Obergefell ruling.
Gallup also noted that, less than two-thirds of Americans (64%) now view gay or lesbian relationships as morally acceptable, down from a peak of 71% three years ago. The gap in perceptions between Democrats and Republicans has widened considerably in recent years.
While 86% of Democrats claim that gay or lesbian relationships are morally acceptable, only 38% of Republicans share this view, indicating the lowest acceptance rate within the party since 2012.
In recent times, the Supreme Court has seen increased partisan strife regarding support for same-sex marriage, particularly as some lawmakers push for a reconsideration of the Obergefell decision.
Justice Clarence Thomas suggested revisiting prior rulings, including the one legalizing same-sex marriage, which has raised further discussions about the future of marriage equality.
Moreover, last week, the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the country, passed a resolution advocating for a partial overturn of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
