Support for LGBTQ+ issues among Americans seems to have leveled off or even declined, particularly regarding same-sex marriage and moral acceptance of same-sex relationships, according to a recent Gallup poll.
The report, released Wednesday, shows that while 65% of Americans continue to support legal same-sex marriage, this marks a drop of six points from its peak in 2022-2023. Additionally, acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships has fallen to 62%, which is the lowest level since 2016.
There’s also been a significant decline in society’s acceptance of gender transition over the past five years. Currently, just 38% of Americans believe that changing one’s gender is morally acceptable, down eight points from 2021. In contrast, a majority—57%—now view gender transition as morally wrong.
This cultural shift is largely driven by Republicans, with some impact from independents, while Democrats’ views on LGBTQ issues have reportedly remained stable, according to Gallup.
The partisan divide is stark. Among Republicans, support for legal same-sex marriage has dropped dramatically to 37%, a significant decline from the 55% majority observed in 2021-2022. Independents showed a six-point drop to 67%, while Democrats maintained a stable support rate of 87% since 2022.
A similar trend is evident in views on the morality of same-sex relationships. Republican support decreased by 21 points to just 35%, the lowest since 2005-2014. Independents dropped eight points to 64%, but Democrats showed no noticeable change, remaining at 81%.
When it comes to gender transition, there’s a marked contrast—only 5% of Republicans find it morally acceptable, in contrast to 42% of independents and 60% of Democrats. Gallup noted that while Republican support has steadily declined since 2021, attitudes among independents and Democrats were stable until a notable drop this year.
The findings come from Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, conducted in early May. Over the last two decades, Americans had shown increasing support for same-sex marriage, yet figures have dipped slightly every year since 2024.
Similarly, moral approval for gay and lesbian relationships rose from 40% in 2001 to 71% in 2022, but plummeted to 64% in 2023 before reaching a plateau. Gallup suggests that the decline in support for LGBTQ+ issues may stem from a conservative backlash against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives aimed at fostering acceptance for LGBTQ+ individuals and other historically marginalized groups.
