Same-sex marriage sees record-high support in the U.S., poll finds

 

© GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images A wedding cake with statuettes of two me

Support for same-sex marriage in the U.S. has reached a new high of 70%, according to a poll published Tuesday by Gallup. The percentage, which is the highest reported figure in the company's history of conducting the poll, marks a 10-point increase from 2015 when the Supreme Court ruled for same-sex marriages to be recognized across all 50 states.

"As more Americans see and know LGBTQ people and couples, they see our relationships are as loving, as valuable, and as worth protecting as any straight marriage," Barbara Simon, the head of news and campaigns at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), said in a statement. "It shows undeniable forward progress for LGBTQ acceptance."

When Gallup first conducted its survey in 1996, only 27% of Americans said they believed marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by the law as valid. Support has consistently increased over the years, and in 2011, the majority of Americans for the first time said gay marriage should be legally recognized. 

Gallup says the newest rise in support is largely driven by shifting views among Republicans. For the first time ever, Republicans, who have historically been the party group reporting the least amount of support for marriage equality in Gallup's polls, showed majority favor with 55% in 2021. That's a nearly 10% increase from last year when only 44% of Republicans approved of legal recognition for same-sex marriage, the company reported. 

Eighty-three percent of Democrats, meanwhile, voiced support, maintaining a level seen in recent years. "This could suggest that support for gay marriage has reached a ceiling for this group, at least for now," Gallup wrote. 

The data, which was calculated through a random sample of phone interviews with about 1,000 adults throughout the country last month, also showed that all age groups are the most supportive they have ever been. Young adults aged 18 to 34 had the highest number of supporters with 84%. Seventy-two percent of middle-aged adults between the ages of 35 and 54 were in favor, and 60% of older adults 55 and older said same-sex marriages should be legally recognized as valid. 

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