In the United States, support for marriage equality, according to a Gallup poll conducted annually since the mid-1990s, has declined for the third consecutive year. This year, 65 percent of the population backs the equal treatment of gays and lesbians in marriage law. Last year it stood at 68 percent, and in 2023 it reached 71 percent.
The drop in acceptance is primarily driven by waning support among Republicans. For instance, in 2021 and 2022, 55 percent of members of the Republican Party supported marriage equality — this year the figure is only 37 percent. Among Democrats, support remains at 87 percent, just as high as in 2022.
On the question of whether homosexuality is morally acceptable, approval has also declined: from 71 percent in 2022 to 62 percent today. Over the last four years, Republican acceptance on this question has fallen by more than 20 percentage points.
Transgender people face particularly strong opposition
But Republicans show especially strong resistance to another queer group: acceptance of transgender people has dropped sharply. In 2021, about 22 percent of Republicans said that changing the gender marker for transgender people is morally acceptable. Today, that figure is only five percent. Democratic support has also declined, though to a lesser extent — from 67 percent in 2021 to 60 percent now.
“Over roughly two decades, Americans grew more open to LGBTQ+ people and stronger in supporting their civil rights. Yet these pro-LGBTQ+ attitudes peaked about five years ago and have since eased slightly, especially among Republicans,” Gallup summarized the findings. “This shift occurred as conservative leaders rejected programs for diversity, equity, and inclusion that were intended to promote greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ people and other historically marginalized groups.”
With the inauguration of Donald Trump in January 2025, the tone of the federal government toward queer people shifted dramatically. The religious-tinged Trump administration recently described the protection of sexual and gender minorities as anti-Christian (as TheColu.mn reported). The president has repeatedly railed against transgender people, effectively labeling them as a threat to public safety on a near-weekly basis. In the United States’ anti-terror strategy this year, “pro-transgender” individuals are for the first time mentioned as a “violent” group (TheColu.mn reported). (dk)
