#ROR IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-WSF7BSB [0?ti=5986988&Ver=2] Notice: JavaScript is not enabled. Please Enable JavaScript Safely. skip to main content (Submit) Toggle navigation * Gallup * What We Do (Submit) Close menu Our Services Exceptional Workplaces Create an environment where employees and teams excel. + Employee Experience + Culture + Employee Engagement + Manager Development + Workforce Analytics + Performance Management + Hiring Analytics + Strengths Development + Wellbeing + Diversity & Inclusion Advanced Analytics Make accurate decisions to ensure long-term success. + World Poll + Gallup Panel + U.S. Daily Tracking + Gallup Analytics + Business-to-Business + Customer Analytics CliftonStrengths Boost performance by maximizing what your employees do best. + For Individuals + For Managers + For Organizations + For Education + How It Works + CliftonStrengths 34 Themes + Builder Initiative Education Drive high engagement and performance at your institution. + K-12 Education + Higher Education + Research Partners + Strada-Gallup Alumni Survey + CliftonStrengths for Students + Talent-Based Hiring + Gallup Student Poll Featured Solution Gallup Access Manage your workforce through a dynamic online platform. Featured Book It's the Manager Learn about the biggest factor in your organization's success. More from Gallup News Read about the attitudes and behaviors of the world's 7 billion citizens. + Reports + Books + Courses & Workshops + Events View All Services & Solutions * Who We Are * Locations * Careers * Store * Search News (Submit) Toggle navigation * Overview * Business + Business + Advanced Analytics + B2B + CliftonStrengths + Customer Engagement + Employee Engagement + Leadership + Marketplace + Workplace + Gallup Business Journal + Chairman's Blog * Politics + Politics + Foreign Affairs + Government + The Presidency + Presidential Job Approval Center * World + World + Americas + Asia Pacific + Europe + Middle East & North Africa + Sub-Saharan Africa * Education + Education + Higher Education + K-12 * Social & Policy Issues + Social & Policy Issues + Abortion + Crime + Environment + Guns + Healthcare + Immigration + LGBT + Marijuana + Millennials + Race Relations + Taxes + Terrorism + Women + Gallup Vault + Polling Matters * Well-Being + Well-Being + Chronic Disease + Drugs & Alcohol + Health Habits + Health Insurance * Economy + Economy + Entrepreneurship + Personal Finance + Retirement + Small Business * Blogs & Podcast + The Chairman's Blog + Gallup Blog + Gallup Vault + Methodology Blog + Polling Matters + Gallup Podcast * Sign In * Subscribe * About Gallup and Our Services * Access Log In Politics Two in Three Americans Support Same-Sex Marriage * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share on LinkedIn * Share via Email * Print * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share on LinkedIn * Share via Email * Print Politics May 23, 2018 Two in Three Americans Support Same-Sex Marriage by Justin McCarthy Two in Three Americans Support Same-Sex Marriage Story Highlights * 67% of U.S. adults say gay marriages should be legally valid * New high in support for gay marriage in Gallup's trend * Democrats remain more in favor than Republicans WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sixty-seven percent of Americans support same-sex marriage -- the highest level in Gallup's trend. In each of the past three annual polls, Gallup has recorded three-percentage point increases among Americans who say same-sex marriages should be legally valid. The current figure is up 40 percentage points from the 27% who supported gay marriage when Gallup first polled on the question in 1996. GayMarriageSupport These data are from Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs poll, conducted May 1-10. Some of the increases in support may be due to greater numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults getting married in the U.S. Using data for all of 2017, Gallup has found that more than 10.4% of LGBT adults are married to a same-sex spouse. This means that Americans are more likely to know someone who has married a same-sex partner, and the visibility of these marriages may be playing a role in overturning some folks' previously held opposition to their legal status. Gay marriage became legal nationwide in 2015 upon the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision. This came more than a decade after the first state, Massachusetts, had legalized gay marriage. In the years leading up to the decision, a patchwork of state laws were created for and against same-sex marriage. ##SPEEDBUMP## Democrats Reach New High in Support for Same-Sex Marriage Democrats remain the most likely to support gay marriage among party groups. The 83% of Democrats in favor of legally recognized same-sex marriages is the highest level of support recorded for this group. Democrats are nearly twice as likely as Republicans to support legal recognition of gay marriages -- less than half of the GOP favors legal gay marriage (44%). The latest figure for Republicans' views on gay marriage is similar to the 47% recorded in 2017. The GOP has seen growth in the percentage of Republicans who favor legally recognized gay marriage over the years, but has yet to reach majority support. Meanwhile, independents' opinions on the issue are closer to those of Democrats. Currently, 71% of independents say gay marriages should be recognized by the law as valid, matching this group's previous high from last year. GayMarriageSupport_political Bottom Line With the third anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision nearing and no formidable opposition trying to undo gay marriage's legality, it's likely that the percentage of married LGBT adults in the U.S. will continue to grow as new generations of same-sex couples enjoy their newfound rights. The trend toward increased public support for same-sex marriage could very well continue, given that there is still room for increased support among Democrats and independents. Reaching a national consensus on the issue would depend more on greater acceptance among Republicans, who remain mostly opposed to legally recognized same-sex marriages. In addition to the general trend toward greater acceptance of gay marriage, the same-sex weddings taking place across the country may be softening opposition among some Americans who once feared for what legalization would bring. But now that it's been legal for nearly three years -- and even longer in certain states -- some opponents to gay marriage may be rethinking their previous opposition. Americans have changed their minds on the legality of other issues as well. Gallup's trend on support for legalization of marijuana has largely mirrored its trend on legalization of gay marriage. On both issues, support gained steadily in the 2000s before reaching majority level in the 2010s. Survey Methods Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted May 1-10, 2018, with a random sample of 1,024 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting. Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 70% cellphone respondents and 30% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods. [View survey methodology, complete question responses and trends.] Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. Gallup Gallup News Alerts Gallup News Alerts Get the latest data-driven news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Related Topics Include: USA All Gallup Headlines LGBT Marriage Moral Issues Politics Social and Policy Issues Advanced Analytics Access Crucial Data for Your Research Search, examine, compare and export nearly a century of primary data. Learn More about Access Crucial Data for Your Research Subscribe to receive weekly Gallup News alerts. Never miss our latest insights. Sign Up Recommended Gallup Blog May 21, 2018 Explore Americans' Views on LGBT Issues Over the next week, Gallup will release a series of three articles providing insight into LGBT issues. Politics May 22, 2018 In U.S., Estimate of LGBT Population Rises to 4.5% The percentage of American adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender increased to 4.5% in 2017 from 4.1% in 2016 and 3.5% in 2012. Politics Feb 7, 2018 Majority Remains Satisfied With Acceptance of Gays in U.S. A majority of Americans remain satisfied with the acceptance of gays and lesbians in the U.S., but 23% are dissatisfied because they seek more acceptance. Polling Matters Aug 3, 2018 Looking Into What Americans Mean by "Working Class" by Frank Newport Some Americans may literally define the "working class" as those who are working, rather than as a position in the socioeconomic hierarchy. May 23, 2018 Gallup https://news.gallup.com/poll/234866/two-three-americans-support-sex-mar riage.aspx Gallup World Headquarters, 901 F Street, Washington, D.C., 20001, U.S.A +1 202.715.3030 News Our Company * About Gallup * Locations * George Gallup * Methodology Center * Senior Scientists & Advisers Topics * Business * Politics * World * Education * Social & Policy Issues * Well-Being * Economy * Blogs * Trends A-Z More From Gallup * Gallup.com * Exceptional Workplaces * Advanced Analytics * CliftonStrengths * Gallup Access * News * Reports * Books * Courses & Workshops * Events * Shop Contact Us * Careers * Media Inquiries * Gallup Speakers * Get In Touch * Facebook * Twitter * LinkedIn * YouTube Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2016 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. Gallup, Inc. maintains several registered and unregistered trademarks that include but may not be limited to: A8, Accountability Index, Business Impact Analysis, BE10, CE11, CE11 Accelerator, Clifton StrengthsExplorer, Clifton StrengthsFinder, Customer Engagement Index, Customer Engagement Management, Dr. Gallup Portrait, Employee Engagement Index, Enetrix, Engagement Creation Index, Follow This Path, Gallup, Gallup Brain, Gallup Business Journal, GBJ, Gallup Consulting, Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, Gallup Management Journal, GMJ, Gallup Panel, Gallup Press, Gallup Tuesday Briefing, Gallup University, Gallup World News, HumanSigma, HumanSigma Accelerator, ICE11, I10, L3, ME25, NurseInsight, NurseStrengths, Patient Quality System, Performance Optimization, Power of 2, PrincipalInsight, Q12, Q12 Accelerator, Q12 Advantage, Selection Research, Inc., SE25, SF34, SRI, Soul of the City, Strengths Spotlight, Strengths-Based Selling, StatShot, StrengthsCoach, StrengthsExplorer, StrengthsFinder, StrengthsInsight, StrengthsQuest, SupportInsight, TX(R+E+R)=P3, TeacherInsight, The Gallup Path, The Gallup Poll, The Gallup School, VantagePoint, Varsity Management, Wellbeing Finder, Achiever, Activator, Adaptability, Analytical, Arranger, Belief, Command, Communication, Competition, Connectedness, Consistency, Context, Deliberative, Developer, Discipline, Empathy, Fairness, Focus, Futuristic, Harmony, Ideation, Includer, Individualization, Input, Intellection , Learner, Maximizer, Positivity, Relator, Responsibility, Restorative, Self-Assurance, Significance, Strategic, and Woo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. These materials are provided for noncommercial, personal use only. Reproduction prohibited without the express permission of Gallup, Inc. * Privacy Statement * Legal