A recent Gallup poll indicates that acceptance of same-sex marriage in the United States has plateaued after over two decades of increasing support. Approximately 65% of U.S. adults believe same-sex marriage should be legal, a decrease from 71% in 2022 and 2023. The decline is primarily attributed to a drop in acceptance among Republicans, with only 37% supporting legal same-sex marriage and 35% considering gay and lesbian relations as 'morally acceptable.' In contrast, the views of Democrats and independents remain relatively stable, with most supporting same-sex marriage and viewing same-sex relations as moral.
The poll reflects a growing partisan divide on LGBTQ+ issues, particularly regarding transgender rights, with some states pushing to ban same-sex marriage. Historical data from Gallup shows that support for same-sex marriage was only 27% in 1996, rising steadily until it peaked in recent years. However, recent trends indicate a slight decline in both support for same-sex marriage and the morality of same-sex relationships.
Same-sex marriage has been recognized nationwide since a 2015 Supreme Court ruling, which followed a series of court decisions and state laws that recognized it in most states. As of last year, there were over 800,000 married same-sex couples in the U.S. Despite this, efforts to overturn the 2015 ruling continue, with some states introducing legislation to ban same-sex marriage.
Additionally, the Gallup poll found that acceptance of transgender individuals has also decreased, with only about 40% of Americans now viewing gender change as morally acceptable, down from nearly 50% in 2021. Many Republican-controlled states have enacted laws restricting gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender minors and limiting their participation in sports.
The Gallup poll was conducted from May 1 to May 17, 2026, involving telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,001 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.