Gallup: U.S. Support for LGBTQ+ Issues Shows Decline From Recent Peaks

Photo: news.gallup.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new analysis from Gallup suggests that long-running increases in U.S. acceptance of LGBTQ+ issues have stalled and, in several areas, reversed in recent years, according to its Values and Beliefs survey conducted May 1–17, 2026.

The data show declines across multiple indicators compared with early-2020s peaks. Support for legal same-sex marriage now stands at 65%, down six percentage points from its 2022–2023 high. The share of Americans who view gay or lesbian relations as morally acceptable has fallen to 62%, its lowest level since 2016. Acceptance of gender transition as morally acceptable has also dropped, with 38% expressing approval, an eight-point decline from five years ago.

The long-term trend remains one of substantial change over decades. Since the late 1990s, support for same-sex marriage rose dramatically, climbing from 27% in 1996 to a high near 70% in the early 2020s before edging downward in recent years. Similar patterns appear in attitudes toward sexual orientation and gender identity, with earlier gains leveling off and, in some cases, partially retreating.

Much of the recent shift is concentrated among Republicans, whose support for same-sex marriage and acceptance of same-sex relations has declined sharply since 2022, while Democratic views have remained largely stable and independent views have seen more moderate declines.

Previously, the UOJ reported that a Chicago hospital paused gender-reassignment drugs for minors.

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