LGBT Acceptance Falls Among Democrats and Republicans

raquelgoulartra
Jun 11
2 min read

This article is published in collaboration with Statista

by Katharina Buchholz

A Gallup survey conducted in 2026 reveals how the moral acceptance of same‑sex relations among U.S. adults has changed over the past two decades. The poll, which included more than 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, found that 62 percent of respondents now consider same‑sex relations morally acceptable, up from 45 percent in 2005. As shown by our infographic, acceptance has nevertheless declined from a peak of 71 percent recorded in 2022 and is now roughly at the same level as in 2015 (63 percent), the year when the United States legalized same‑sex marriage.

The survey also shows that support has declined across political affiliations. Democrats’ acceptance sank from 86 percent in 2025 to 81 percent this year, while Republicans' moved from 38 percent to 35 percent and Independents from 70 percent to 64 percent over the same time period. This means that the partisan gap remains similar at a very high 46 percentage points in 2026, much larger than the 25‑point gap recorded at the time of nationwide marriage legalization in 2015. While overall acceptance rose over the years, Democrats' support has not increased in a straight line and at times decreased. It is however the first time since the start of data availability in 2006 that all three political groups saw their support decline at the same time.

Gallup has noted that partisan sorting on cultural and moral issues intensified in political messaging and media ecosystems, explaining how the gaps between Democrats and Republicans widened recently. 2023, the year Donald Trump launched his third presidential campaign, saw issues framed around identity and social norms back in the spotlight. This appears to have reinforced partisan differences and coincided with a huge drop in Republican support for LGBT issues.

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