Republicans Are Changing Their Minds on Same-Sex Marriage
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
An increasing number of Republicans have indicated that they disagree with same-sex marriage, a new poll shows.
Gallup polling conducted between May 1 and 18 among 1,003 adults in the U.S. found that Republican support for same-sex marriage had declined to its lowest point since 2016. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
Why It Matters
In 2015, the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which was decided by a 5-4 vote, legalized same-sex marriage across the country.
The Respect for Marriage Act, which Congress passed in 2022 and President Joe Biden signed into law, also said "interracial and same-sex marriage must be recognized as legal in every state in the nation."
That same year, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas said in a concurring opinion that Obergefell should be reconsidered. Recently, Republican lawmakers in several states have moved to end same-sex marriage, calling on the court to revisit the ruling.
A Pride Parade in Bangkok on June 4, 2023.
A Pride Parade in Bangkok on June 4, 2023.
AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit
What To Know
The new Gallup poll showed that Republicans' support of same-sex marriage stood at 41 percent, a notable decline from its 2021 peak of 55 percent.
Among Democrats, 88 percent supported same-sex marriage, while 76 percent of independents agreed with the policy.
The 47-point divide between Republicans and Democrats is the largest gap that Gallup has measured since it began tracking attitudes toward same-sex marriage 29 years ago.
The poll showed that 68 percent of Americans overall supported the right to same-sex marriage, a percentage that has remained relatively similar since 2021.
The poll also found that while 64 percent of Americans considered gay relations to be morally acceptable, only 38 percent of Republicans shared that view—marking a decline from 2022, when 56 percent of Republicans believed homosexuality was morally acceptable.
Among Democrats, 86 percent believed it is morally acceptable, and 69 percent of independents held that view.
Earlier this month, Oklahoma state Senator Dusty Deevers filed a resolution calling on the Supreme Court to overturn the nationwide right to same-sex marriage.
The Idaho House of Representatives passed a similar resolution in January.
In December, Michigan state Senator Josh Schriver called to "make gay marriage illegal again," saying his position was "not remotely controversial, nor extreme."
Meanwhile, a North Dakota resolution to make the Supreme Court revisit Obergefell failed in March, with at least two dozen Republicans breaking ranks and voting against the GOP-led measure.
What People Are Saying
Commenting on whether he feared the Supreme Court would overturn Obergefell, Pete Buttigieg, who served as Transportation Secretary under the Biden administration, said on CBS's The Late Show in March: "They don't seem terribly concerned about allowing precedents to stand, even recent precedents, so how can we not be worried about that?"
The American Civil Liberties Union wrote on Twitter, now called X, in 2022 following the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act: "The bill ensures federal recognition of marriage regardless of the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of either spouse. The bill does not, however, codify the right of same-sex couples to marry in all 50 states, as the Supreme Court deemed constitutionally required in Obergefell v. Hodges. If Obergefell is overturned, states would still be able to deny marriage licenses to LGBTQ couples."
What Happens Next
In line with political and cultural shifts, the proportion of Republicans who agree with same-sex marriage is likely to fluctuate. Whether this results in any legislative changes remains to be seen.
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