Associated Press reports that acceptance of same-sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. has flattened after more than two decades of steadily increasing support, with an ongoing decline among Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll. About 65% of U.S. adults believe same-sex marriage should be legal, down slightly from 71% in 2022 and 2023.
Along with decline in support for same-sex marriage comes a decline in believing same-sex marriage is morally acceptable, only 62% of adults. That is down from 71% recorded in 2022.
There is also a decline in transgender support as only 4 out of 10 Americans view changing one’s gender as morally acceptable, decreased almost by half since 2021.
Most of the change is due to dropping acceptance among Republicans. At least 11 states introduced legislation to ban same-sex marriage, even if most didn’t gain traction, and many Republican states enacted laws in the last five years banning transgender policies regarding minors, bathrooms and sports.
Talking about this on American Family Radio (AFR), Delano Squires, director of Center for Human Flourishing at The Heritage Foundation, said the shift is encouraging.
"I'm cautiously optimistic, particularly because the numbers haven't really moved that much for Democrats or Independents," says Squires. "The left typically has control, sort of, of our cultural institutions, and my sense is that for some on the left, even with the transgender issue, they are hardening as they see conservatives sort of pushing back over the last couple of years on some of these issues."
Squires added that even some conservatives have responded positively to a homosexual person or couple announcing a wedding, adoption or plans of having a child via surrogacy.
"Some conservatives congratulate people in those situations, whether online or in person," says Squires. "So, again, I'm cautiously optimistic, but at least the trend lines are moving in the right direction for conservatives."
