Southern Baptist same-sex marriage resolution rings an alarm
That's a lot of animosity packed into one declaration. But it's one that Republicans seem increasingly interested in supporting.
What's scary is that there are now efforts to bring same-sex marriage back to the Supreme Court with the intention of overturning Obergefell v. Hodges. Republicans in the Idaho House of Representatives has passed a resolution to ask the Supreme Court to overturn the decade-old ruling.
Eight other state legislatures introduced similar measures affecting the legality of same-sex marriage.
It's not just outrageous that so many legislative officials are trying to do away with gay marriage. It's terrifying to the LGBTQ+ people you know. The Southern Baptist resolution is a harrowing sign of the legal fight that could be around the corner.
Opinion: A trans athlete won in California. Her peers cheered - and exposed the truth.
Polling says gay marriage is popular. Do Republicans care?
Same-sex marriage still has majority support in the United States, according to polling.
In a Gallup survey conducted in May 2025 , 68% of respondents say same-sex marriages should have the same rights as traditional marriages, compared with 29% of people who disagreed.
While that's a hopeful number, there are some caveats. Support for gay marriage has decreased from 71% in 2023.
Republican support has dropped to 41% from 55% in 2021 and 2022, and is now the lowest it's been since 2016.
Opinion: Republicans are going after marriage. LGBTQ+ people like me tried to warn you.
Now that a denomination with nearly 13 million members is coming out against gay marriage, I fear that we will continue to see a decline in support.
Even if gay marriage retains support, the Supreme Court already went against popular opinion when it overturned Roe v. Wade. In his opinion on that issue, Justice Clarence Thomas said he believed the court should reconsider Obergefell. He said the quiet part out loud.
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What happened to 'love thy neighbor'? Guess not if they're LGBTQ?
While I grew up within a different denomination, my childhood in North Carolina was spent around Southern Baptists. I have attended their services; I have been to their funerals. I know LGBTQ+ people who were raised in their churches, and my heart breaks for them and their families.
While Christianity has become burdened by dogma and interpretations, the most important lesson, the one that is universal, regardless of your denomination, is that you're supposed to love your neighbor as you love yourself. To me, this means wanting them to have the same rights as you have, including in your marriage.
It is shameful that Southern Baptists have lost sight of this message and instead want to advocate for fewer rights for LGBTQ+ people. But it's not surprising given where Trump's Republican Party is trending on the topic.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeno on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno
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