Declining Support for LGBTQ+ Issues in America
It seems that the earlier part of this decade was a high point for the cultural embrace of non-heterosexual identities, but that trend may be reversing.
A recent Gallup poll indicates that support for gay marriage, straight relationships, and transgender rights is decreasing.
As noted, “LGBTQ+ support reached its peak about five years ago.”
In 2023, 71% of American adults believed that gay marriage should be recognized, an increase from 27% in 1996; however, this number has fallen to 65% recently.
The belief that same-sex relationships are “morally acceptable” peaked at 71% in 2022 but has dropped to 62% this year, marking the lowest level in a decade. This downward trend shows little sign of reversing.
Gallup started asking whether “changing your gender is morally acceptable” in 2021. Back then, 46% agreed; this year, only 38% do.
Interestingly, just 5% of Republicans and 42% of independent voters now say that changing one’s gender is morally acceptable.
Some analysts are pointing fingers at the Republican Party for these waning attitudes, noting particularly significant shifts among that group regarding LGBTQ+ issues.
For instance, in 2022, 55% of Republicans supported legalizing gay marriage, but that figure has dropped by 18 points in the past four years.
Independents are also showing a slowdown, with support for same-sex marriage decreasing by six points.
While the majority of Democrats still support LGBTQ+ rights, there are signs of weariness. This year, 81% of Democrats found same-sex relationships morally acceptable, down 5 points from 2025, and 60% expressed support for transgender rights, a 7-point decline since 2021.
As Gallup mentioned, “For nearly two decades, Americans have become more accepting of LGBTQ+ people and more supportive of their civil rights. However, these pro-LGBTQ+ attitudes peaked about five years ago and have since declined gradually, primarily among Republicans.”
Alongside the shifting sentiments, a study by the Center for Heterosexual Social Science at the University of Buckingham found that the number of students identifying as ‘transgender’ or ‘non-heterosexual’ has also significantly decreased.
