Majority of Republicans once again disapprove of gay marriage, poll finds

A majority of Republicans don’t support same-sex marriage, according to a new Gallup poll.

Forty-six percent of GOP respondents said they think same-sex marriage should be legal, down from 49 percent the previous year.

Even fewer Republicans, 40 percent, said they find same-sex relationships morally acceptable.

The new findings mark a sudden decline from 2021 and 2022, the first and only two years in which GOP respondents told Gallup they were in favor of same-sex marriage since 1996.

These views put the party at odds with a majority of their fellow Americans, according to the data.

Overall, 69 percent of respondents signaled their legal support for same-sex marriage, including 83 percent of Democrats and 74 percent of independents.

The declining support among Republicans comes as the number of Americans who self-identify as LGBT+ has doubled over the last decade, from 3.5 percent in 2012 to 7.6 percent this year.

The decline in GOP support follows years of the Republican party pushing numerous restrictions on LGBT+ people, though it has largely eschewed directly targeting gay marriage.

As of last month, 25 states, home to 39 percent of the population of trans youth aged 13 to 17, had bans on gender-affirming healthcare.

Nearly as many states, 24, ban transgender students from competing in sports consistent with their gender identity.

In school contexts, meanwhile, states like Florida have prohibited the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity until certain grades, in a policy derided as the “Don’t Say Gay” law.

At least 10 states have laws prohibiting or restricting students from using pronouns or names that don’t match with those assigned at birth.

As The Independent has reported, the increasing tactic of conservatives labeling their enemies “groomers” has also led to a real-world spike in threats and violence against LGBT+ people.