A poll Tuesday indicates 55 percent of Republicans support same-sex marriage, shifting from 16 percent in 1996 to a more libertarian perspective.
The Gallup poll concluded that “Republicans, who have consistently been the party group least in favor of same-sex marriage, show majority support in 2021 for the first time (55%). The latest increase in support among all Americans is driven largely by changes in Republicans’ views.”
“Once opponents of legalization, Republicans have mostly come to back it. Court and legislative challenges to the legal status of same-sex marriage have simmered down since the Supreme Court issued its decision,” Gallup writes. “Meanwhile, older U.S. adults, who were once holdouts in support for gay marriage, now come down on the same side of the issue as young adults.”
The overall support for same-sex marriage stands at 70 percent, an increase of 10 percent since 2015. In 1996, only 27 percent of Americans supported same-sex marriage.
Gallup poll was conducted May 3-18 and based on telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,016 adults in America.