American Views Are Shifting on Same-Sex Marriage

American backing for same-sex marriage has slipped a few points, though it remains solidly in majority territory. A new Gallup survey finds that 65% of adults say same-sex marriages should be recognized as legal, down from 68% last year and 69% in 2024, reports the Hill. In 2022, that number reached as high as 71%, per the AP. Opposition, meanwhile, has climbed to 32%, up from 23% two years ago, per the Hill. The poll, conducted May 1-17 among 1,001 adults, has a 4-point margin of error.

The findings land amid ongoing GOP debates over LGBTQ+ rights. Some Republican lawmakers have urged the Supreme Court to revisit its 2015 Obergefell ruling, and several senators opposed the 2022 Respect for Marriage Act, which safeguards same-sex and interracial marriages. More recently, conservative efforts have zeroed in on transgender issues, from restrictions on gender-affirming care to sports participation.

New tensions surfaced this week when Rep. Andy Ogles posted, then deleted, a message declaring, "Homosexuality has no place in America." Fellow Republican Rep. Mike Lawler fired back: "Homosexuality exists. In America," calling Ogles' statement "absolutely idiotic." Ogles later said he hadn't approved the post.