Support for Same-Sex Marriage Slips in Polls
American support for same-sex marriage remains a majority position but has retreated from its early-decade peak, with three recent national surveys registering lower levels than several years ago.
A June 26-29 Economist/YouGov poll found just 54% of U.S. adult citizens said same-sex marriage should be legal, while 33% said it should not and 13% were unsure. YouGov surveyed 1,606 people online, with a 3.2-percentage-point margin of error.
Gallup measured support at 65% in May, down from 71% in 2022 and 2023. The polling organization said the change was driven primarily by Republicans. Support among GOP respondents fell from 55% in 2021 and 2022 to 37% this year. Democratic support remained at 87%, while independent support slipped to 67%.
The Public Religion Research Institute reported a similar, though smaller, movement. Its 2025 American Values Atlas put support at 65%, compared with 67% in 2023 and 2024 and a 69% high in 2022.
The surveys are not directly interchangeable because they use different samples, wording and collection methods. Their findings nevertheless point in the same direction: Same-sex marriage retains majority backing, but the long rise in public approval has stalled. Some analysts in the last year say it may be a backlash against Hollywood, the media and LGBTQ activists pushing the envelope too far in recent years.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, argued in a June 28 Christian Post opinion column that Americans are connecting marriage policy with wider disputes over gender identity, schools, sports and surrogacy.
Perkis contends Americans “were sold that this was not going to affect them, that this was just about two people who loved each other being able to marry.”
LGBTQ activists dispute Perkins’ interpretation, if not the numbers. Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, told Axios that legal same-sex marriage brought a “dramatic transformation.”
The data shows that support is down among all age groups, including the young. The most striking slip is among adults between 18 and 34. Support dropped a whopping 9 points in just three years since 2023.
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–Alan Goforth
