Support for same-sex marriage among Americans has slipped three percentage points over the past year, according to a new Gallup survey released Thursday. The poll found 65 percent of adults say same-sex marriages should be legally valid, down from 68 percent in May 2025. Opposition ticked up to 32 percent, while 3 percent expressed no opinion.
The dip marks the first notable decline in Gallup's tracking of the issue since 2022, when support stood at 69 percent. In the current survey, conducted May 1-17 among 1,001 adults, the margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Political strategists on both sides are parsing the numbers as a potential warning sign for Democrats who have made LGBTQ rights a central plank of their platform. The erosion comes amid a concerted push by conservative lawmakers and activists to challenge the 2015 Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Several Republican senators voted against the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, which codified protections for same-sex and interracial unions.
GOP Infighting Over Gay Rights Explodes Into Open
Tensions over LGBTQ issues within the House Republican conference boiled over this week after Representative Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) posted—and later deleted—a message declaring, “Homosexuality has no place in America.” The post, which also said “Happy Nuclear Family Month,” was published at the start of Pride month.
Ogles’s comment drew immediate pushback from fellow Republicans. Representative Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) fired back on social media: “Homosexuality exists. In America.” He added, “In fact Andy, you have family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and constituents who are gay and lesbian. It doesn’t make them less than or somehow unworthy of being an American. What an absolutely idiotic statement to make.” Former Representative George Santos also criticized Ogles’s remarks.
Ogles later told The Hill he had not approved the post, but the incident underscored the deep fissures within the GOP over social issues. Conservatives have recently shifted much of their focus to targeting transgender individuals, pushing legislation to restrict gender-affirming care and bar transgender athletes from competing in sports aligned with their gender identity.
The broader political landscape shows the issue remains volatile. While a solid majority of Americans continue to back marriage equality, the slight decline could embolden opponents who argue public opinion is shifting. Some Republican lawmakers have called on the Supreme Court to revisit Obergefell, though legal experts say such a move remains unlikely in the near term.
For Democrats, the numbers may serve as a reminder that even settled cultural battles require constant engagement. With the 2026 midterms approaching, both parties are closely watching how the debate over LGBTQ rights will play in swing districts and among independent voters. Meanwhile, the affordability crisis continues to dominate kitchen-table issues, potentially overshadowing social policy fights.
The Gallup findings also come as U.S. support for Israel fractures across party lines, illustrating how a range of once-stable public opinion metrics are now in flux. Whether the same-sex marriage dip is a statistical blip or the start of a longer trend will be tested in future polling.
