In a new poll, over three-quarters of respondents support the right of same-sex couples to marry, despite the fact that some lawmakers are targeting LGBTQ people.
According to a new Gallup poll, more Americans than ever support the freedom of same-sex couples to marry.
Last month, 71% of 1,000 adults in the United States said they support the legal right to same-sex marriage, breaking the previous year’s record by one percentage point. The figures are up from 42% in 2004, when Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-gender marriage. In July 2015, immediately after the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the historic case upholding same-sex marriage under the 14th Amendment, support reached 58%.
While only 40% of those who attend church regularly support same-sex marriage, 70% of those who attend church nearly weekly or at least monthly support the right. Eighty-two percent of individuals who never go to church support same-sex marriage, according to Gallop research dating back to 2004.
Same-sex marriage and abortion are two subjects that a majority of Americans support — but not necessarily their legislators. Legislation aimed at LGBTQ persons, particularly transgender Americans, has been ramped up by state and local governments. According to the Human Rights Campaign, last year saw the most anti-LGBTQ legislation enacted at the state level in recent history.
More than 300 bills have been submitted or carried over from last year’s legislative session, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. They include efforts to restrict or prohibit gender-affirming care for transgender children, which medical professionals say is life-saving, as well as gag laws similar to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.
The widespread support for same-sex marriage comes as the United States awaits for the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, for which a draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito was leaked last month. The proposed opinion would overturn Roe v. Wade and deprive women of their right to abortion.
If Roe is overturned, the court may turn its attention to additional privacy protections based on the Constitution.
Obergefell and Roe are landmark decisions for a reason: because they ensure freedoms and protections and are fully supported by a wide majority of Americans, GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. If anything, Congress and the Supreme Court should move to reflect the will of the people by codifying protections against discrimination.
