Report shows record partisan divide over same-sex marriage

Nearly a decade after the Supreme Court legalized so-called same-sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges, Gallup reported American support for gay marriage remained steady at 68%. Similarly, about 64% of U.S. adults view homosexual relationships as morally acceptable, according to Gallup. 2022 data showed about 71% of Americans supported gay relationships, before dropping to 64% in 2023, where it has remained since. Despite the recent drop, the overall view of homosexuality as morally acceptable steadily rose for decades, starting at about 40% in 2001, according to Gallup.

What’s the political divide? Democrats and Republican respondents show a record 47-point difference in support of gay marriage, with about 88% of Democrats supporting gay marriage and about 41% of Republicans. The 2025 data marked a record gap between the party beliefs on gay marriage since Gallup began tracking the issue nearly 30 years ago, according to the group. This year, GOP support fell to its lowest point since the 2016 SCOTUS ruling, after support briefly spiked to 55% in 2021, according to Gallup. Democrats' support of gay marriage reached a record high in 2025, having more than doubled since 1999.

About 86% of Democrats and about 38% of Republicans view homosexuality as morally acceptable, Gallup reported. GOP moral support of gay relationships this year reached its lowest point since 2012, after peaking in 2022 with about 56% of the party supporting the morality of homosexuality. Conversely, Democrat support for same-sex relations reached a record high, having nearly doubled since 2001.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report earlier this month about the Southern Baptist Convention petitioning the Supreme Court to overturn the legalization of same-sex marriage.