Public opinion of same-sex marriage in the United States has significantly changed since the 1990s, [2] and an overwhelming majority of Americans now favor same-sex marriage. [3]
Approval of same-sex marriage is higher in younger generations; [4] among 18–34 year olds, support is near-universal. [5] From 1988 to 2009, support for recognized same-sex marriage increased between 1% and 1.5% per year, and accelerated thereafter, [6] rising above 50% in Pew Research Center polling for the first time in 2011. [7] A 2022 Public Religion Research Institute poll found that a majority of people in every state support same-sex marriage except in Mississippi, where there is plurality support. [8]
A 2023 New York Times/ Siena poll found that 70% of Americans support same-sex marriage and 22% oppose it. [9] Garretson (2018) writes: "The transformation of America's response to homosexuality has been — and continues to be — one of the most rapid and sustained shifts in mass attitudes since the start of public polling." [2]
Public opinion of same-sex marriage in the United States has changed radically since polling of the American people regarding the issue was first conducted in 1988. [10] The issue of same-sex marriage was not brought up as an issue for public debate until at least the 1950s [11] and was not a political issue until the 1970s. [12] According to statistician Nate Silver of the poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight, from 1988 to April 2009, support for same-sex marriage increased between 1% and 1.5% per year and about 4% from April 2009 to August 2010. [13] A Pew Research Center poll, conducted from May 21, 2008, to May 25, 2008, found that, for the first time, a majority of Americans did not oppose same-sex marriage, with opposition having fallen to 49%. [14] An ABC News/ Washington Post poll, conducted from April 21, 2009, to April 24, 2009, found that, for the first time, a plurality of Americans supported same-sex marriage at 49% and that a majority of Americans supported the marriages of same-sex couples validly entered into in one state being recognized in all states at 53%. [15] A CNN/Opinion Research poll, conducted from August 6, 2010, to August 10, 2010, found that, for the first time, a majority of Americans supported same-sex marriage at 52%. [16] A Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll, conducted from January 25, 2015 to January 31, 2015, found that, for the first time, 60% of Americans supported same-sex marriage. [17]
Continual polling by Gallup over the course of more than two decades has shown that support for same-sex marriage has grown rapidly, while opposition has simultaneously collapsed. In 1996, 68% of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, while only 27% supported. In 2018, 67% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while only 31% opposed. [18] As of 2018, 60% of Americans said they would not mind if their child married someone of the same gender. [19]
A 2023 New York Times/Siena poll found that 70% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 22% opposed it. [9]
A 2023 Gallup poll found that 71% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 28% opposed it. [20] [21]
According to The Nation, a private poll conducted by Centerline Action before the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in late 2022 found that 73 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage; the percentage of Americans opposed to same-sex marriage was not listed. [22]
A December 2022 Quinnipiac University poll found that 68% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 22 percent opposed it. [23]
A September 2022 Grinnell College National Poll found that 74% of Americans believe same-sex marriage should be a guaranteed right while 13% disagreed and 13% were uncertain. [24] [25]
A May 2022 Gallup poll found that 71% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 28% were against. [21] [26]
The 2022 American Values Atlas by Public Religion Research Institute found that 69% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 28% opposed it. [8]
A June 2021 CBS News/YouGov poll found that 64% of Americans supported same-sex marriage while 36% were opposed. Two-thirds of Republicans over age 45 are opposed, but the opinions of Republicans under age 45 are almost evenly split with 52% oppose and 48% support same sex marriage. [27]
An 2021 Public Religion Research Institute poll found that 67% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 32% were opposed. [3]
A June 2021 Gallup poll found that 70% of Americans supported same-sex marriage and 29% were against. [28]
A June 2020 Gallup poll found that 67% of Americans supported same sex marriage, while 31% were against, matching their May 2018 record high.
A Public Religion Research Institute nationwide & state-by-state poll conducted in 2020 found that 67% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 27% opposed, and 5% refused to answer or answered "don't know," with there being majority support for same-sex marriage in 46 states, and plurality support in 4 states. [1]
A 2020 American National Election Studies poll found that 66% of Americans supported legal recognition of same-sex marriage, 20% supported civil unions, while 14% of Americans were opposed to any legal recognition of same-sex relationships. [29]
A June 2019 CBS News poll found that 67% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 28% were against. [30]
A June 2019 IPSOS/ Reuters poll found that 58% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 28% were against. [31]
A May 2019 Pew Research Center poll found 61% of Americans supported same-sex marriage while 31% were against. [32]
A May 2019 Gallup poll found that 63% of Americans supported same sex marriage, with 36% opposing it. While this is a drop when compared to 2018, same sex marriage approval still remains stable. [33]
A May 2018 Gallup poll found that 67% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 31% opposed, and 2% had no opinion. [18]
An April 2018 NBC News poll found that 64% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 33% opposed, and 3% had no opinion. [34] The poll was reported by NBC News as notable as it found that 55% of Southerners supported same-sex marriage, which represented an historic change for a region that was previously staunchly opposed. [35]
A Public Religion Research Institute nationwide & state-by-state poll conducted throughout 2017 found that 61% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 30% opposed, and 9% refused to answer or answered "don't know," with there being majority support for same-sex marriage in 44 states, plurality support in 4 states, plurality opposition in 1 state, and majority opposition in 1 state. [36]
An August 2017 NBC News/ The Wall Street Journal poll found that 60% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 33% opposed, and 7% had no opinion. [37] [38]
A June 2017 Pew Research Center poll found 62% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 32% opposed, and 6% had no opinion. This marked the first Pew poll where a majority of Baby Boomers supported same-sex marriage, did not oppose same-sex marriage. [39]
A May 2017 Gallup poll found 64% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 34% opposed, and 2% had no opinion. This marked the first Gallup poll where a majority of Protestants supported same-sex marriage. [40]
A May 2016 Gallup poll found 61% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 37% opposed, and 2% had no opinion. This marked the first Gallup poll where a majority of Americans aged 65 and older supported same-sex marriage. [41]
A May Gallup poll found 60% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 37% opposed, and 3% had no opinion. [42]
A February–March Wall Street Journal poll found that 59% of Americans favored same-sex marriage. [43]
A January–February Human Rights Campaign poll found that 60% of Americans favored same-sex marriage, while 37% opposed. The same poll also found that 46% of respondents knew a same-sex couple who had gotten married. [17]
A February 12–15 CNN/ORC poll found that 63% of Americans believed same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, while 36% disagreed. [44]
A May Gallup poll found that 55% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 42% opposed, and 4% had no opinion. [45]
An April Public Religion Research Institute poll sponsored by the Ford Foundation found that 55% of all Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 39% were opposed. [46]
A Pew Research Center poll released in March found 54% of Americans favored same-sex marriage, 39% opposed, and 7% didn't know. [47] It also researched support for same-sex marriage among Republican leaning voters in the United States. 61% of Republican leaning voters aged 18–29 supported allowing same-sex couples to marry, while only 27% of Republican leaning voters over 50 years of age were supportive. [48] 52% of Republican voters aged 18–50 supported same-sex marriage. [49] [50]
A Washington Post/ ABC News poll from February–March found that a record high of 59% of Americans approved of same-sex marriage, with only 34% opposed and 7% with no opinion. The poll also revealed that 53% of the population in the states that did not allow same-sex couples to marry at the time approved of same-sex marriage. 50% of respondents agreed that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the freedom to marry regardless of sex or sexual orientation, while 41% disagreed, and 9% had no opinion. [51] The same poll also found that 81% of people believed that businesses should not be allowed to refuse to serve gays and lesbians. 16% disagreed, and 3% had no opinion. 78% thought that gay couples can be "just as good parents" as straight couples, while 18% disagreed and 4% had no opinion. [52]
A November/December Public Religion Research Institute poll sponsored by the Ford Foundation found that 53% of all Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 41% were opposed and 6% unsure. The margin of error was 1.1%. The same poll found clear majorities in favor of same-sex marriage in the Northeast (60%), West (58%), and Midwest (51%). Only the South was evenly divided 48% in favor to 48% opposed. Further, nearly 7-in-10 (69%) of those born after 1980 (ages 18–33) favored allowing same-sex couples to marry. [53]
A Bloomberg National Poll conducted by Selzer & Company taken during September 20–23, 2013 found that 55% supported same-sex marriage, while 36% opposed and 9% were unsure. [54]
A September Quinnipiac University poll found that 56% of American adults and 57% of registered voters supported same-sex marriage. Only 36% of both groups were opposed. [55]
A July 10–14 poll by Gallup found support for same-sex marriage at 54%, a record high, and double the support of 27% Gallup first measured when the question was asked in 1996. [56]
A July poll by USA Today found that 55% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 40% did not. [57]
A May 9 Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 55% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 40% did not. [58]
A March 20–24 CBS News Poll found that 53% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 39% opposed it, and 8% were undecided. [59] The same poll also found that 33% of Americans who thought same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry said they once held the opposite view and had changed their opinion.
A March 7–10 Washington Post-ABC News [60] poll found that 58% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 36% opposed. The poll indicated that 52% of GOP-leaning independents under 50 years old supported same-sex marriage. [61]
A March Quinnipiac University poll of voters found 47% supported same-sex marriage and 43% were opposed. [62]
A November 26–29 Gallup poll found that 53% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 46% did not. [63]
A November 16–19 CBS News poll found that 51% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 40% did not. [64]
A November 7–11 ABC News/ Washington Post poll found that 51% of respondents supported same-sex marriage, while 47% were opposed. [65]
A June 6 CNN/ORC International poll showed that a majority of Americans supported same-sex marriage being legalized at 54%, while 42% were opposed. [66]
A May 22 NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll showed that 54% of Americans would support a law in their state making same-sex marriage legal, with 40% opposed. [67]
A May 17–20 ABC News/Washington Post poll showed that 53% believed same-sex marriage should be legal, with only 39% opposed, a low point for opposition in any national poll that far. [68] [69]
A May 10 USA Today/ Gallup Poll, taken one day after Barack Obama became the first sitting president to express support for same-sex marriage, [70] showed 51% of Americans agreed with the President's endorsement, while 45% disagreed. [71] A May 8 Gallup Poll showed majority support for same-sex marriage nationwide, with 50% in favor and 48% opposed. [72]
An April Pew Research Center poll showed support for same-sex marriage at 48%, while opposition fell to 44%. [7]
A March 7–10 ABC News/ Washington Post poll found 52% of adults thought it should be legal for same-sex couples to get married, while 42% disagreed and 5% were unsure. [54] A March survey by the Public Religion Research Institute found 52% of Americans supported allowing same-sex couples to marry, while 44% opposed. [73]
A February 29 – March 3 NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll found 49% of adults supported allowing same-sex couples to marry, while 40% opposed. [74]
Public support for same-sex marriage continued to grow in 2011. In February and March, a Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey found about as many adults favored (45%) as opposed (46%) allowing same-sex couples to marry legally, compared to a 2009 Pew Research survey that found just 37% backed same-sex marriage while 54% opposed. [75] In March and April, polls by Gallup, [76] ABC News/ Washington Post, [77] and CNN/Opinion Research [78] all showed that a majority of Americans approved of same-sex marriage.
In March, Pew reported that 57% of Democrats favored legal recognition for same-sex marriage, and 51% of independents agreed, but only 23% of Republicans agreed. [75] An April CNN/Opinion Research Poll showed majority support including 64% of Democrats and 55% of independents, but only 27% of Republicans. [78]
In March 2011, Democracy Corps conducted a survey of 1,000 likely 2012 election voters in 50 congressional districts considered political battlegrounds. It asked respondents to rate their feelings on the same-sex marriage issue on a 0–100 scale, with 100 being "very warm" or favorable feelings, and 0 being "very cold" or unfavorable feelings. 42% were on the "cool" or unfavorable side, and 35% were on the "warm" or favorable side. [79]
A May 2011 Gallup Poll also showed majority support for same-sex marriage, 53% in favor to 45% opposed. Gallup measured a 9-point increase in support, from 44% to 53%, indicating that support increased faster than in any previous year. [76]
An August Associated Press/ National Constitution Center poll found 52% agreed that the federal government should give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same sex, an increase from 46% in 2009. 46% disagreed, compared to 53% in 2009. [80]
An August CNN/Opinion Research Poll showed that 49% of respondents thought gays and lesbians do have a constitutional right to get married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid, and 52% thought gays and lesbians should have that right. [81]
Earlier polls in February and May found opinion divided within the margin of error, but with a consistent trend of increasing support and decreasing opposition compared to prior years. [82] [83] One August poll found majority opposition, [84] and a November exit poll of 17,504 voters by CNN during the 2010 midterm elections found 53% opposition with 41% support. [85]
An April 30 ABC News/ Washington Post poll found support for allowing same-sex couples to marry in the United States ahead of opposition for the first time: 49% support, 46% opposition, and 5% with no opinion. In addition, 53% believed that same-sex marriages performed in other states should be legal in their states. 62% of Democrats and 52% of Independents supported same-sex marriage, while 74% of Republicans opposed. [86]
An April 22–26 poll by CBS/ New York Times found 42% supported marriage for same-sex couples, 25% supported civil unions, and 28% opposed any legal recognition of same-sex couples. [87] 5% of respondents were unsure.
In April, Nate Silver noted that the discrepancy in support for same-sex marriage appeared to result from 5-10% of respondents who favored civil unions over same-sex marriage, but given only two choices, would support same-sex marriage. [88]
A LifeWay Research poll conducted in August 2009 found that 61% of Americans born between 1980 and 1991 saw nothing wrong with two people of the same gender getting married, while 39% disagreed. The survey was conducted on a demographically representative survey of 1,200 U.S. adults between 18 and 29 years old. [89]
A December poll revealed that 32% supported the concept of civil unions, 31% would offer full marriage rights to same-sex couples, and 30% opposed any legal recognition for gay and lesbian partnerships. [90]
In a July 17 poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, 55 percent opposed same-sex marriage, and 36 percent were in favor. [91]
An ABC News poll found that a majority (58%) of Americans remained opposed to same-sex marriages, while a minority (36%) support them. However, on the question of a constitutional amendment, more were opposed than for it. The majority (51%) of Americans said the issue should be left for the states to decide, while 43% would agree with amending the Constitution.[ citation needed]
A July poll by Quinnipiac University Polling Institute revealed that 32% would allow homosexual partners to legally marry, 33% would permit them to form civil unions, and 29% would grant them no legal recognition. [91] [92]
In May, a Gallup poll found that opposition to same-sex marriage had fallen slightly, as other polls found a sharper dip. In the poll, when asked if marriages between homosexuals should be recognized by law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages, 58% (down 1 point from Aug 2005, and 9 points from March 1996) of Americans responded that they should not be recognized. 39% (up 2 points from Aug 2005, and 12 points from 1996) felt same-sex marriages should be recognized by law. If "homosexuals" is replaced with "same-sex couples", 42% backed same-sex marriage while 56% opposed it. [93]
In June, a Princeton Survey Research Associates/Pew Research Center poll found a rise in those opposed to same-sex marriage, with 56% disapproving.
In March, a Princeton Survey Research Associates/Pew Research Center poll concluded that 39% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 51% opposed it, and 10% were undecided.
A Pew study in March found that 51% opposed same-sex marriage, with 39% supporting it, and the level of "strongly opposing" same-sex marriage had fallen from 42% to 28%. [94] [95] Pew's May 2008 Survey found that for the first time, a majority of people did not oppose same-sex marriage at 49%. 20% opposed and 29% strongly opposed same-sex marriage, up 1% from the March 2006 Pew Research Results. [96]
In December, a Princeton Survey Research Associates/Pew Research Center poll found 61% of Americans opposed (including 38% "strongly opposed").
An October 1989 Yankelovich Clancy Shulman telephone poll found that 84% of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, with 12% supporting same-sex marriage, and 4% being not sure. [97]
A 1988 International Social Survey Programme poll found that 80.3% of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, while 11.9% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, and 2.1% of Americans neither agreed or disagreed. [98]
A 1988 National Opinion Research Center / General Social Survey / University of Chicago poll found that 82.6% of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, 10.7% of Americans supported it, 3.9% of Americans neither agreed or disagreed, and 2.8% didn't know / etc. [99]
Date(s) conducted | Age | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 18-29 | 79% | 19% | 2% | 351 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 18-34 | 75% | 2.82% | 360 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 18-48 | 72% | 24% | 4% | 1,016 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 30-49 | 67% | 28% | 5% | 665 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 35-49 | 60% | 2.82% | 300 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 50-64 | 55% | 2.82% | 336 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 50-64 | 56% | 38% | 6% | 778 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 50+ | 52% | 41% | 7% | 1,452 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 65+ | 42% | 2.82% | 204 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 65+ | 46% | 45% | 9% | 674 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Date(s) conducted | Education | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | College grad | 72% | 23% | 6% | 719 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
College grad+ | 75% | 21% | 5% | 1,199 adults | ||||
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | College graduates | 68% | 2.82% | 468 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
High school or less | 48% | 372 adults | ||||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | HS or less | 53% | 41% | 6% | 634 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
Non-college | 57% | 37% | 6% | 1,295 adults | ||||
Postgrad | 79% | 17% | 3% | 480 adults | ||||
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Postgraduates | 72% | 2.82% | 168 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
Some college | 61% | 192 adults | ||||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Some college | 62% | 32% | 6% | 661 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Date(s) conducted | Ethnicity or race | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Black, non-Hispanic | 51% | 41% | 7% | 7.3% | 241 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | African-American | 51% | 2.82% | 144 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
Hispanic | 66% | 840 adults | ||||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Hispanic | 60% | 36% | 5% | 6.5% | 297 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Total Non-White | 60% | 2.82% | 312 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
White | 60% | 888 adults | ||||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | White, non-Hispanic | 64% | 31% | 5% | 2.7% | 1,737 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Date(s) conducted | Gender | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Men | 61% | 2.82% | 576 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 60% | 34% | 6% | 1,355 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Women | 59% | 2.82% | 624 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 64% | 30% | 5% | 1,149 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Date(s) conducted | Geography | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Rural | 47% | 2.82% | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | |
Suburban | 61% | |||||
Urban | 66% |
Date(s) conducted | Income | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | <$30,000 | 54% | 39% | 7% | 568 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
$30,000-$74,999 | 65% | 31% | 5% | 787 adults | ||||
$75,000+ | 72% | 23% | 5% | 951 adults |
Date(s) conducted | Political affiliation | State sanctioned same-sex marriage should be valid / Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage |
Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Dem/ Dem lean | 76% | 19% | 5% | 3.2% | 1,230 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Democrat | 73% | 22% | 5% | 777 adults | Pew Research Center | |||
May 1, 2018 – May 10, 2018 | Democrats | 83% | 4% | 1,024 adults | Gallup | Telephone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Independent | 70% | 26% | 5% | 989 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
May 1, 2018 – May 10, 2018 | Independents | 71% | 4% | 1,024 adults | Gallup | Telephone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Rep/ Rep lean | 47% | 48% | 5% | 3.5% | 1,050 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Republican | 40% | 54% | 5% | 612 adults | Pew Research Center | |||
May 1, 2018 – May 10, 2018 | Republicans | 44% | 4% | 1,024 adults | Gallup | Telephone interviews | ||
February 11, 2020 – November 22, 2020 | Republicans | 51% | 1.1% | 10,052 adults | PRRI | Interviews |
Date(s) conducted | Political affiliation by generation |
Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Democratic Millennials | 87% | 12% | 2% | 344 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
Democratic Gen Xers | 76% | 18% | 5% | 268 adults | ||||
Democratic Baby Boomers | 70% | 26% | 4% | 463 adults | ||||
Democratic Silents | 56% | 31% | 13% | 140 adults | ||||
Republican Millennials | 60% | 38% | 2% | 198 adults | ||||
Republican Gen Xers | 51% | 43% | 6% | 215 adults | ||||
Republican Baby Boomers | 42% | 53% | 6% | 421 adults | ||||
Republican Silents | 29% | 62% | 9% | 188 adults |
Date(s) conducted | Political affiliation by ideology |
Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Conservative Rep/Lean Rep | 39% | 55% | 6% | 698 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
Liberal Dem/Lean Dem | 66% | 27% | 7% | 617 adults | ||||
Moderate/ Cons Dem/Lean Dem | 88% | 10% | 2% | 613 adults | ||||
Moderate/Lib Rep/Lean Rep | 63% | 33% | 4% | 352 adults |
Date(s) conducted | Religious affiliation | State sanctioned same-sex marriage should be valid / Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage |
Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 3, 2017 – May 7, 2017 | Catholics | 65% | 4% | Gallup | Telephone interviews | |||
Protestants/ Christians (nonspecific) | 55% | |||||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Total Catholic | 67% | 28% | 6% | 502 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
Total Protestant | 48% | 46% | 6% | 1,165 adults | ||||
Total Unaffiliated | 85% | 10% | 4% | 597 adults | ||||
September 9 – 22, 2020 | Hispanic Catholics | 78% | Public Religion Research Institute | Online (2,496), some telephone (42) [100] | ||||
White Catholics | 67% | |||||||
White mainline Protestants | 79% | |||||||
Hispanic Protestants | 68% | |||||||
Black Protestants | 57% | |||||||
White evangelical Protestants | 34% | |||||||
Non-Christian religious | 72% | |||||||
Christian: Other | 56% | |||||||
Unaffiliated | 90% |
Date(s) conducted | Religious attendance | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Less than weekly | 75% | 20% | 5% | 1,619 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Monthly | 59% | 2.82% | 204 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
Never | 80% | 288 adults | ||||||
Weekly | 34% | 384 adults | ||||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Weekly or more | 34% | 66% | 6% | 863 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Yearly | 70% | 2.82% | 312 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews |
Date(s) conducted | State, federal district, or territory |
Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 5, 2022 – December 23, 2022 | Alabama | 53% | 41% | 6% | 261 adults | Public Religion Research Institute [1] | Telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Alaska | 70% | 30% | N/A | 160 adults | |||
Arizona | 70% | 26% | 4% | 558 adults | |||
Arkansas | 51% | 47% | 1% | 176 adults | |||
California | 72% | 26% | 2% | 2,295 adults | |||
Colorado | 74% | 24% | 2% | 389 adults | |||
Connecticut | 81% | 18% | 1% | 274 adults | |||
Delaware | 69% | 29% | 2% | 164 adults | |||
Florida | 69% | 28% | 3% | 1,457 adults | |||
Georgia | 62% | 36% | 3% | 601 adults | |||
Hawaii | 69% | 30% | 1% | 157 adults | |||
Idaho | 64% | 36% | N/A | 167 adults | |||
Illinois | 77% | 20% | 2% | 740 adults | |||
Indiana | 67% | 31% | 1% | 414 adults | |||
Iowa | 75% | 20% | 4% | 218 adults | |||
Kansas | 69% | 30% | 1% | 177 adults | |||
Kentucky | 57% | 42% | 1% | 516 adults | |||
Louisiana | 62% | 36% | 2% | 214 adults | |||
Maine | 82% | 19% | N/A | 167 adults | |||
Maryland | 71% | 26% | 2% | 401 adults | |||
Massachusetts | 83% | 12% | 4% | 446 adults | |||
Michigan | 68% | 30% | 2% | 715 adults | |||
Minnesota | 77% | 21% | 2% | 403 adults | |||
Mississippi | 49% | 48% | 4% | 178 adults | |||
Missouri | 63% | 36% | 1% | 406 adults | |||
Montana | 70% | 29% | 1% | 164 adults | |||
Nebraska | 60% | 33% | 6% | 163 adults | |||
Nevada | 78% | 20% | 2% | 196 adults | |||
New Hampshire | 82% | 17% | 1% | 182 adults | |||
New Jersey | 76% | 21% | 3% | 590 adults | |||
New Mexico | 72% | 28% | 1% | 527 adults | |||
New York | 75% | 21% | 3% | 1,133 adults | |||
North Carolina | 65% | 34% | 2% | 686 adults | |||
North Dakota | 66% | 34% | 1% | 157 adults | |||
Ohio | 70% | 28% | 2% | 837 adults | |||
Oklahoma | 54% | 44% | 2% | 200 adults | |||
Oregon | 78% | 22% | N/A | 325 adults | |||
Pennsylvania | 68% | 29% | 3% | 979 adults | |||
Rhode Island | 80% | 14% | 6% | 157 adults | |||
South Carolina | 55% | 40% | 6% | 304 adults | |||
South Dakota | 63% | 37% | 1% | 156 adults | |||
Tennessee | 52% | 44% | 4% | 436 adults | |||
Texas | 62% | 36% | 2% | 1,611 adults | |||
Utah | 65% | 34% | 1% | 193 adults | |||
Vermont | 70% | 29% | N/A | 156 adults | |||
Virginia | 74% | 24% | 2% | 652 adults | |||
Washington | 83% | 15% | 2% | 583 adults | |||
West Virginia | 62% | 38% | 1% | 156 adults | |||
Wisconsin | 72% | 26% | 2% | 466 adults | |||
Wyoming | 62% | 38% | N/A | 161 adults | |||
District of Columbia | 78% | 17% | 4% | 160 adults | Public Religion Research Institute Archived February 21, 2019, at the Wayback Machine |
Date(s) conducted | Metro area | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 7, 2020-December 20, 2020 | Albany | 83% | 9% | 8% | 185 adults | Public Religion Research Institute | Telephone and cell phone interviews [101] |
Albuquerque | 81% | 11% | 7% | 174 adults | |||
Allentown | 63% | 35% | 1% | 155 adults | |||
Atlanta | 62% | 34% | 5% | 1,070 adults | |||
Austin | 74% | 23% | 3% | 266 adults | |||
Baltimore | 68% | 27% | 6% | 460 adults | |||
Birmingham | 65% | 35% | 0% | 194 adults | |||
Boston | 80% | 16% | 4% | 674 adults | |||
Buffalo | 43% | 46% | 10% | 206 adults | |||
Charlotte | 63% | 30% | 7% | 383 adults | |||
Chicago | 71% | 25% | 4% | 1,167 adults | |||
Cincinnati | 70% | 27% | 3% | 358 adults | |||
Cleveland | 89% | 6% | 5% | 330 adults | |||
Columbus | 62% | 35% | 3% | 360 adults | |||
Dallas | 73% | 22% | 5% | 922 adults | |||
Denver | 80% | 15% | 5% | 508 adults | |||
Detroit | 69% | 24% | 6% | 728 adults | |||
Fresno | 51% | 44% | 5% | 126 adults | |||
Grand Rapids | 53% | 45% | 2% | 149 adults | |||
Hartford | 89% | 11% | 0% | 187 adults | |||
Houston | 67% | 29% | 4% | 782 adults | |||
Indianapolis | 69% | 25% | 6% | 393 adults | |||
Jacksonville | 86% | 11% | 3% | 270 adults | |||
Kansas City | 58% | 35% | 7% | 280 adults | |||
Knoxville | 63% | 29% | 7% | 155 adults | |||
Las Vegas | 77% | 19% | 4% | 317 adults | |||
Los Angeles | 70% | 25% | 5% | 781 adults | |||
Louisville | 79% | 13% | 8% | 229 adults | |||
Memphis | 73% | 22% | 5% | 160 adults | |||
Miami | 81% | 15% | 4% | 974 adults | |||
Milwaukee | 76% | 24% | 0% | 245 adults | |||
Minneapolis-St. Paul | 79% | 17% | 5% | 587 adults | |||
Nashville | 80% | 15% | 5% | 262 adults | |||
New Orleans | 68% | 31% | 0% | 168 adults | |||
New York City | 67% | 28% | 5% | 3,004 adults | |||
Oklahoma City | 62% | 30% | 8% | 188 adults | |||
Omaha | 86% | 14% | 0% | 149 adults | |||
Orlando | 77% | 16% | 7% | 446 adults | |||
Philadelphia | 70% | 23% | 7% | 937 adults | |||
Phoenix | 66% | 27% | 7% | 724 adults | |||
Pittsburgh | 80% | 18% | 1% | 427 adults | |||
Portland | 76% | 17% | 6% | 464 adults | |||
Providence | 62% | 32% | 6% | 212 adults | |||
Raleigh | 46% | 45% | 10% | 232 adults | |||
Richmond | 74% | 20% | 7% | 189 adults | |||
Riverside | 73% | 19% | 8% | 544 adults | |||
Rochester | 71% | 26% | 3% | 170 adults | |||
Sacramento | 73% | 26% | 1% | 348 adults | |||
Salt Lake City | 58% | 38% | 3% | 209 adults | |||
San Antonio | 71% | 16% | 12% | 326 adults | |||
San Diego | 82% | 18% | 1% | 461 adults | |||
San Francisco | 78% | 21% | 1% | 703 adults | |||
San Jose | 86% | 13% | 2% | 220 adults | |||
Seattle | 73% | 23% | 5% | 656 adults | |||
St. Louis | 68% | 25% | 6% | 400 adults | |||
Tampa-St. Petersburg | 70% | 26% | 4% | 566 adults | |||
Tucson | 82% | 7% | 10% | 194 adults | |||
Virginia Beach | 65% | 20% | 16% | 316 adults | |||
Washington D.C. | 71% | 25% | 4% | 1,174 adults |
Date(s) conducted | Region | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage / Support state sanctioned same-sex marriage |
Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused / No answer |
Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 5, 2017 – December 23, 2017 | Midwest | 62% | 31% | 8% | 0.6% | Public Religion Research Institute Archived February 21, 2019, at the Wayback Machine | Telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 53% | 2.82% | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 62% | 33% | 6% | 552 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
April 5, 2017 – December 23, 2017 | Northeast | 69% | 23% | 8% | 0.6% | Public Religion Research Institute Archived February 21, 2019, at the Wayback Machine | Telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 70% | 2.82% | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 73% | 23% | 4% | 432 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
March 12, 2018 – March 25, 2018 | South [a] | 55% | 42% | 3% | 2.4% | 4,132 adult residents | NBC News / SurveyMonkey | Online survey |
April 5, 2017 – December 23, 2017 | West | 66% | 26% | 9% | 0.6% | Public Religion Research Institute Archived February 21, 2019, at the Wayback Machine | Telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 67% | 2.82% | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 68% | 28% | 4% | 577 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a dramatic wave began to form in the waters of public opinion: American attitudes involving homosexuality began to change... The transformation of America's response to homosexuality has been — and continues to be — one of the most rapid and sustained shifts in mass attitudes since the start of public polling.
The vast majority of Americans (70%) favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally, compared to 28% of Americans who oppose it. Majorities of Democrats (80%) and independents (76%), as well as half of Republicans (50%), support same-sex marriage.
Solid majorities across both parties agree that... marrying someone of the same sex...are rights that should be guaranteed to all citizens...
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Public opinion of same-sex marriage in the United States has significantly changed since the 1990s, [2] and an overwhelming majority of Americans now favor same-sex marriage. [3]
Approval of same-sex marriage is higher in younger generations; [4] among 18–34 year olds, support is near-universal. [5] From 1988 to 2009, support for recognized same-sex marriage increased between 1% and 1.5% per year, and accelerated thereafter, [6] rising above 50% in Pew Research Center polling for the first time in 2011. [7] A 2022 Public Religion Research Institute poll found that a majority of people in every state support same-sex marriage except in Mississippi, where there is plurality support. [8]
A 2023 New York Times/ Siena poll found that 70% of Americans support same-sex marriage and 22% oppose it. [9] Garretson (2018) writes: "The transformation of America's response to homosexuality has been — and continues to be — one of the most rapid and sustained shifts in mass attitudes since the start of public polling." [2]
Public opinion of same-sex marriage in the United States has changed radically since polling of the American people regarding the issue was first conducted in 1988. [10] The issue of same-sex marriage was not brought up as an issue for public debate until at least the 1950s [11] and was not a political issue until the 1970s. [12] According to statistician Nate Silver of the poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight, from 1988 to April 2009, support for same-sex marriage increased between 1% and 1.5% per year and about 4% from April 2009 to August 2010. [13] A Pew Research Center poll, conducted from May 21, 2008, to May 25, 2008, found that, for the first time, a majority of Americans did not oppose same-sex marriage, with opposition having fallen to 49%. [14] An ABC News/ Washington Post poll, conducted from April 21, 2009, to April 24, 2009, found that, for the first time, a plurality of Americans supported same-sex marriage at 49% and that a majority of Americans supported the marriages of same-sex couples validly entered into in one state being recognized in all states at 53%. [15] A CNN/Opinion Research poll, conducted from August 6, 2010, to August 10, 2010, found that, for the first time, a majority of Americans supported same-sex marriage at 52%. [16] A Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll, conducted from January 25, 2015 to January 31, 2015, found that, for the first time, 60% of Americans supported same-sex marriage. [17]
Continual polling by Gallup over the course of more than two decades has shown that support for same-sex marriage has grown rapidly, while opposition has simultaneously collapsed. In 1996, 68% of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, while only 27% supported. In 2018, 67% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while only 31% opposed. [18] As of 2018, 60% of Americans said they would not mind if their child married someone of the same gender. [19]
A 2023 New York Times/Siena poll found that 70% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 22% opposed it. [9]
A 2023 Gallup poll found that 71% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 28% opposed it. [20] [21]
According to The Nation, a private poll conducted by Centerline Action before the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in late 2022 found that 73 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage; the percentage of Americans opposed to same-sex marriage was not listed. [22]
A December 2022 Quinnipiac University poll found that 68% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 22 percent opposed it. [23]
A September 2022 Grinnell College National Poll found that 74% of Americans believe same-sex marriage should be a guaranteed right while 13% disagreed and 13% were uncertain. [24] [25]
A May 2022 Gallup poll found that 71% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 28% were against. [21] [26]
The 2022 American Values Atlas by Public Religion Research Institute found that 69% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 28% opposed it. [8]
A June 2021 CBS News/YouGov poll found that 64% of Americans supported same-sex marriage while 36% were opposed. Two-thirds of Republicans over age 45 are opposed, but the opinions of Republicans under age 45 are almost evenly split with 52% oppose and 48% support same sex marriage. [27]
An 2021 Public Religion Research Institute poll found that 67% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 32% were opposed. [3]
A June 2021 Gallup poll found that 70% of Americans supported same-sex marriage and 29% were against. [28]
A June 2020 Gallup poll found that 67% of Americans supported same sex marriage, while 31% were against, matching their May 2018 record high.
A Public Religion Research Institute nationwide & state-by-state poll conducted in 2020 found that 67% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 27% opposed, and 5% refused to answer or answered "don't know," with there being majority support for same-sex marriage in 46 states, and plurality support in 4 states. [1]
A 2020 American National Election Studies poll found that 66% of Americans supported legal recognition of same-sex marriage, 20% supported civil unions, while 14% of Americans were opposed to any legal recognition of same-sex relationships. [29]
A June 2019 CBS News poll found that 67% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 28% were against. [30]
A June 2019 IPSOS/ Reuters poll found that 58% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 28% were against. [31]
A May 2019 Pew Research Center poll found 61% of Americans supported same-sex marriage while 31% were against. [32]
A May 2019 Gallup poll found that 63% of Americans supported same sex marriage, with 36% opposing it. While this is a drop when compared to 2018, same sex marriage approval still remains stable. [33]
A May 2018 Gallup poll found that 67% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 31% opposed, and 2% had no opinion. [18]
An April 2018 NBC News poll found that 64% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 33% opposed, and 3% had no opinion. [34] The poll was reported by NBC News as notable as it found that 55% of Southerners supported same-sex marriage, which represented an historic change for a region that was previously staunchly opposed. [35]
A Public Religion Research Institute nationwide & state-by-state poll conducted throughout 2017 found that 61% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 30% opposed, and 9% refused to answer or answered "don't know," with there being majority support for same-sex marriage in 44 states, plurality support in 4 states, plurality opposition in 1 state, and majority opposition in 1 state. [36]
An August 2017 NBC News/ The Wall Street Journal poll found that 60% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 33% opposed, and 7% had no opinion. [37] [38]
A June 2017 Pew Research Center poll found 62% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 32% opposed, and 6% had no opinion. This marked the first Pew poll where a majority of Baby Boomers supported same-sex marriage, did not oppose same-sex marriage. [39]
A May 2017 Gallup poll found 64% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 34% opposed, and 2% had no opinion. This marked the first Gallup poll where a majority of Protestants supported same-sex marriage. [40]
A May 2016 Gallup poll found 61% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 37% opposed, and 2% had no opinion. This marked the first Gallup poll where a majority of Americans aged 65 and older supported same-sex marriage. [41]
A May Gallup poll found 60% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 37% opposed, and 3% had no opinion. [42]
A February–March Wall Street Journal poll found that 59% of Americans favored same-sex marriage. [43]
A January–February Human Rights Campaign poll found that 60% of Americans favored same-sex marriage, while 37% opposed. The same poll also found that 46% of respondents knew a same-sex couple who had gotten married. [17]
A February 12–15 CNN/ORC poll found that 63% of Americans believed same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, while 36% disagreed. [44]
A May Gallup poll found that 55% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 42% opposed, and 4% had no opinion. [45]
An April Public Religion Research Institute poll sponsored by the Ford Foundation found that 55% of all Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 39% were opposed. [46]
A Pew Research Center poll released in March found 54% of Americans favored same-sex marriage, 39% opposed, and 7% didn't know. [47] It also researched support for same-sex marriage among Republican leaning voters in the United States. 61% of Republican leaning voters aged 18–29 supported allowing same-sex couples to marry, while only 27% of Republican leaning voters over 50 years of age were supportive. [48] 52% of Republican voters aged 18–50 supported same-sex marriage. [49] [50]
A Washington Post/ ABC News poll from February–March found that a record high of 59% of Americans approved of same-sex marriage, with only 34% opposed and 7% with no opinion. The poll also revealed that 53% of the population in the states that did not allow same-sex couples to marry at the time approved of same-sex marriage. 50% of respondents agreed that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the freedom to marry regardless of sex or sexual orientation, while 41% disagreed, and 9% had no opinion. [51] The same poll also found that 81% of people believed that businesses should not be allowed to refuse to serve gays and lesbians. 16% disagreed, and 3% had no opinion. 78% thought that gay couples can be "just as good parents" as straight couples, while 18% disagreed and 4% had no opinion. [52]
A November/December Public Religion Research Institute poll sponsored by the Ford Foundation found that 53% of all Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 41% were opposed and 6% unsure. The margin of error was 1.1%. The same poll found clear majorities in favor of same-sex marriage in the Northeast (60%), West (58%), and Midwest (51%). Only the South was evenly divided 48% in favor to 48% opposed. Further, nearly 7-in-10 (69%) of those born after 1980 (ages 18–33) favored allowing same-sex couples to marry. [53]
A Bloomberg National Poll conducted by Selzer & Company taken during September 20–23, 2013 found that 55% supported same-sex marriage, while 36% opposed and 9% were unsure. [54]
A September Quinnipiac University poll found that 56% of American adults and 57% of registered voters supported same-sex marriage. Only 36% of both groups were opposed. [55]
A July 10–14 poll by Gallup found support for same-sex marriage at 54%, a record high, and double the support of 27% Gallup first measured when the question was asked in 1996. [56]
A July poll by USA Today found that 55% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 40% did not. [57]
A May 9 Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 55% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 40% did not. [58]
A March 20–24 CBS News Poll found that 53% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, 39% opposed it, and 8% were undecided. [59] The same poll also found that 33% of Americans who thought same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry said they once held the opposite view and had changed their opinion.
A March 7–10 Washington Post-ABC News [60] poll found that 58% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 36% opposed. The poll indicated that 52% of GOP-leaning independents under 50 years old supported same-sex marriage. [61]
A March Quinnipiac University poll of voters found 47% supported same-sex marriage and 43% were opposed. [62]
A November 26–29 Gallup poll found that 53% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 46% did not. [63]
A November 16–19 CBS News poll found that 51% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 40% did not. [64]
A November 7–11 ABC News/ Washington Post poll found that 51% of respondents supported same-sex marriage, while 47% were opposed. [65]
A June 6 CNN/ORC International poll showed that a majority of Americans supported same-sex marriage being legalized at 54%, while 42% were opposed. [66]
A May 22 NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll showed that 54% of Americans would support a law in their state making same-sex marriage legal, with 40% opposed. [67]
A May 17–20 ABC News/Washington Post poll showed that 53% believed same-sex marriage should be legal, with only 39% opposed, a low point for opposition in any national poll that far. [68] [69]
A May 10 USA Today/ Gallup Poll, taken one day after Barack Obama became the first sitting president to express support for same-sex marriage, [70] showed 51% of Americans agreed with the President's endorsement, while 45% disagreed. [71] A May 8 Gallup Poll showed majority support for same-sex marriage nationwide, with 50% in favor and 48% opposed. [72]
An April Pew Research Center poll showed support for same-sex marriage at 48%, while opposition fell to 44%. [7]
A March 7–10 ABC News/ Washington Post poll found 52% of adults thought it should be legal for same-sex couples to get married, while 42% disagreed and 5% were unsure. [54] A March survey by the Public Religion Research Institute found 52% of Americans supported allowing same-sex couples to marry, while 44% opposed. [73]
A February 29 – March 3 NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll found 49% of adults supported allowing same-sex couples to marry, while 40% opposed. [74]
Public support for same-sex marriage continued to grow in 2011. In February and March, a Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey found about as many adults favored (45%) as opposed (46%) allowing same-sex couples to marry legally, compared to a 2009 Pew Research survey that found just 37% backed same-sex marriage while 54% opposed. [75] In March and April, polls by Gallup, [76] ABC News/ Washington Post, [77] and CNN/Opinion Research [78] all showed that a majority of Americans approved of same-sex marriage.
In March, Pew reported that 57% of Democrats favored legal recognition for same-sex marriage, and 51% of independents agreed, but only 23% of Republicans agreed. [75] An April CNN/Opinion Research Poll showed majority support including 64% of Democrats and 55% of independents, but only 27% of Republicans. [78]
In March 2011, Democracy Corps conducted a survey of 1,000 likely 2012 election voters in 50 congressional districts considered political battlegrounds. It asked respondents to rate their feelings on the same-sex marriage issue on a 0–100 scale, with 100 being "very warm" or favorable feelings, and 0 being "very cold" or unfavorable feelings. 42% were on the "cool" or unfavorable side, and 35% were on the "warm" or favorable side. [79]
A May 2011 Gallup Poll also showed majority support for same-sex marriage, 53% in favor to 45% opposed. Gallup measured a 9-point increase in support, from 44% to 53%, indicating that support increased faster than in any previous year. [76]
An August Associated Press/ National Constitution Center poll found 52% agreed that the federal government should give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same sex, an increase from 46% in 2009. 46% disagreed, compared to 53% in 2009. [80]
An August CNN/Opinion Research Poll showed that 49% of respondents thought gays and lesbians do have a constitutional right to get married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid, and 52% thought gays and lesbians should have that right. [81]
Earlier polls in February and May found opinion divided within the margin of error, but with a consistent trend of increasing support and decreasing opposition compared to prior years. [82] [83] One August poll found majority opposition, [84] and a November exit poll of 17,504 voters by CNN during the 2010 midterm elections found 53% opposition with 41% support. [85]
An April 30 ABC News/ Washington Post poll found support for allowing same-sex couples to marry in the United States ahead of opposition for the first time: 49% support, 46% opposition, and 5% with no opinion. In addition, 53% believed that same-sex marriages performed in other states should be legal in their states. 62% of Democrats and 52% of Independents supported same-sex marriage, while 74% of Republicans opposed. [86]
An April 22–26 poll by CBS/ New York Times found 42% supported marriage for same-sex couples, 25% supported civil unions, and 28% opposed any legal recognition of same-sex couples. [87] 5% of respondents were unsure.
In April, Nate Silver noted that the discrepancy in support for same-sex marriage appeared to result from 5-10% of respondents who favored civil unions over same-sex marriage, but given only two choices, would support same-sex marriage. [88]
A LifeWay Research poll conducted in August 2009 found that 61% of Americans born between 1980 and 1991 saw nothing wrong with two people of the same gender getting married, while 39% disagreed. The survey was conducted on a demographically representative survey of 1,200 U.S. adults between 18 and 29 years old. [89]
A December poll revealed that 32% supported the concept of civil unions, 31% would offer full marriage rights to same-sex couples, and 30% opposed any legal recognition for gay and lesbian partnerships. [90]
In a July 17 poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, 55 percent opposed same-sex marriage, and 36 percent were in favor. [91]
An ABC News poll found that a majority (58%) of Americans remained opposed to same-sex marriages, while a minority (36%) support them. However, on the question of a constitutional amendment, more were opposed than for it. The majority (51%) of Americans said the issue should be left for the states to decide, while 43% would agree with amending the Constitution.[ citation needed]
A July poll by Quinnipiac University Polling Institute revealed that 32% would allow homosexual partners to legally marry, 33% would permit them to form civil unions, and 29% would grant them no legal recognition. [91] [92]
In May, a Gallup poll found that opposition to same-sex marriage had fallen slightly, as other polls found a sharper dip. In the poll, when asked if marriages between homosexuals should be recognized by law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages, 58% (down 1 point from Aug 2005, and 9 points from March 1996) of Americans responded that they should not be recognized. 39% (up 2 points from Aug 2005, and 12 points from 1996) felt same-sex marriages should be recognized by law. If "homosexuals" is replaced with "same-sex couples", 42% backed same-sex marriage while 56% opposed it. [93]
In June, a Princeton Survey Research Associates/Pew Research Center poll found a rise in those opposed to same-sex marriage, with 56% disapproving.
In March, a Princeton Survey Research Associates/Pew Research Center poll concluded that 39% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 51% opposed it, and 10% were undecided.
A Pew study in March found that 51% opposed same-sex marriage, with 39% supporting it, and the level of "strongly opposing" same-sex marriage had fallen from 42% to 28%. [94] [95] Pew's May 2008 Survey found that for the first time, a majority of people did not oppose same-sex marriage at 49%. 20% opposed and 29% strongly opposed same-sex marriage, up 1% from the March 2006 Pew Research Results. [96]
In December, a Princeton Survey Research Associates/Pew Research Center poll found 61% of Americans opposed (including 38% "strongly opposed").
An October 1989 Yankelovich Clancy Shulman telephone poll found that 84% of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, with 12% supporting same-sex marriage, and 4% being not sure. [97]
A 1988 International Social Survey Programme poll found that 80.3% of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, while 11.9% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, and 2.1% of Americans neither agreed or disagreed. [98]
A 1988 National Opinion Research Center / General Social Survey / University of Chicago poll found that 82.6% of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, 10.7% of Americans supported it, 3.9% of Americans neither agreed or disagreed, and 2.8% didn't know / etc. [99]
Date(s) conducted | Age | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 18-29 | 79% | 19% | 2% | 351 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 18-34 | 75% | 2.82% | 360 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 18-48 | 72% | 24% | 4% | 1,016 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 30-49 | 67% | 28% | 5% | 665 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 35-49 | 60% | 2.82% | 300 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 50-64 | 55% | 2.82% | 336 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 50-64 | 56% | 38% | 6% | 778 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 50+ | 52% | 41% | 7% | 1,452 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 65+ | 42% | 2.82% | 204 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 65+ | 46% | 45% | 9% | 674 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Date(s) conducted | Education | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | College grad | 72% | 23% | 6% | 719 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
College grad+ | 75% | 21% | 5% | 1,199 adults | ||||
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | College graduates | 68% | 2.82% | 468 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
High school or less | 48% | 372 adults | ||||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | HS or less | 53% | 41% | 6% | 634 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
Non-college | 57% | 37% | 6% | 1,295 adults | ||||
Postgrad | 79% | 17% | 3% | 480 adults | ||||
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Postgraduates | 72% | 2.82% | 168 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
Some college | 61% | 192 adults | ||||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Some college | 62% | 32% | 6% | 661 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Date(s) conducted | Ethnicity or race | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Black, non-Hispanic | 51% | 41% | 7% | 7.3% | 241 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | African-American | 51% | 2.82% | 144 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
Hispanic | 66% | 840 adults | ||||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Hispanic | 60% | 36% | 5% | 6.5% | 297 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Total Non-White | 60% | 2.82% | 312 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
White | 60% | 888 adults | ||||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | White, non-Hispanic | 64% | 31% | 5% | 2.7% | 1,737 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Date(s) conducted | Gender | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Men | 61% | 2.82% | 576 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 60% | 34% | 6% | 1,355 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Women | 59% | 2.82% | 624 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 64% | 30% | 5% | 1,149 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Date(s) conducted | Geography | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Rural | 47% | 2.82% | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | |
Suburban | 61% | |||||
Urban | 66% |
Date(s) conducted | Income | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | <$30,000 | 54% | 39% | 7% | 568 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
$30,000-$74,999 | 65% | 31% | 5% | 787 adults | ||||
$75,000+ | 72% | 23% | 5% | 951 adults |
Date(s) conducted | Political affiliation | State sanctioned same-sex marriage should be valid / Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage |
Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Dem/ Dem lean | 76% | 19% | 5% | 3.2% | 1,230 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Democrat | 73% | 22% | 5% | 777 adults | Pew Research Center | |||
May 1, 2018 – May 10, 2018 | Democrats | 83% | 4% | 1,024 adults | Gallup | Telephone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Independent | 70% | 26% | 5% | 989 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
May 1, 2018 – May 10, 2018 | Independents | 71% | 4% | 1,024 adults | Gallup | Telephone interviews | ||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Rep/ Rep lean | 47% | 48% | 5% | 3.5% | 1,050 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Republican | 40% | 54% | 5% | 612 adults | Pew Research Center | |||
May 1, 2018 – May 10, 2018 | Republicans | 44% | 4% | 1,024 adults | Gallup | Telephone interviews | ||
February 11, 2020 – November 22, 2020 | Republicans | 51% | 1.1% | 10,052 adults | PRRI | Interviews |
Date(s) conducted | Political affiliation by generation |
Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Democratic Millennials | 87% | 12% | 2% | 344 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
Democratic Gen Xers | 76% | 18% | 5% | 268 adults | ||||
Democratic Baby Boomers | 70% | 26% | 4% | 463 adults | ||||
Democratic Silents | 56% | 31% | 13% | 140 adults | ||||
Republican Millennials | 60% | 38% | 2% | 198 adults | ||||
Republican Gen Xers | 51% | 43% | 6% | 215 adults | ||||
Republican Baby Boomers | 42% | 53% | 6% | 421 adults | ||||
Republican Silents | 29% | 62% | 9% | 188 adults |
Date(s) conducted | Political affiliation by ideology |
Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Conservative Rep/Lean Rep | 39% | 55% | 6% | 698 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
Liberal Dem/Lean Dem | 66% | 27% | 7% | 617 adults | ||||
Moderate/ Cons Dem/Lean Dem | 88% | 10% | 2% | 613 adults | ||||
Moderate/Lib Rep/Lean Rep | 63% | 33% | 4% | 352 adults |
Date(s) conducted | Religious affiliation | State sanctioned same-sex marriage should be valid / Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage |
Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 3, 2017 – May 7, 2017 | Catholics | 65% | 4% | Gallup | Telephone interviews | |||
Protestants/ Christians (nonspecific) | 55% | |||||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Total Catholic | 67% | 28% | 6% | 502 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
Total Protestant | 48% | 46% | 6% | 1,165 adults | ||||
Total Unaffiliated | 85% | 10% | 4% | 597 adults | ||||
September 9 – 22, 2020 | Hispanic Catholics | 78% | Public Religion Research Institute | Online (2,496), some telephone (42) [100] | ||||
White Catholics | 67% | |||||||
White mainline Protestants | 79% | |||||||
Hispanic Protestants | 68% | |||||||
Black Protestants | 57% | |||||||
White evangelical Protestants | 34% | |||||||
Non-Christian religious | 72% | |||||||
Christian: Other | 56% | |||||||
Unaffiliated | 90% |
Date(s) conducted | Religious attendance | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Less than weekly | 75% | 20% | 5% | 1,619 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Monthly | 59% | 2.82% | 204 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
Never | 80% | 288 adults | ||||||
Weekly | 34% | 384 adults | ||||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | Weekly or more | 34% | 66% | 6% | 863 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | Yearly | 70% | 2.82% | 312 adults | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews |
Date(s) conducted | State, federal district, or territory |
Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 5, 2022 – December 23, 2022 | Alabama | 53% | 41% | 6% | 261 adults | Public Religion Research Institute [1] | Telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
Alaska | 70% | 30% | N/A | 160 adults | |||
Arizona | 70% | 26% | 4% | 558 adults | |||
Arkansas | 51% | 47% | 1% | 176 adults | |||
California | 72% | 26% | 2% | 2,295 adults | |||
Colorado | 74% | 24% | 2% | 389 adults | |||
Connecticut | 81% | 18% | 1% | 274 adults | |||
Delaware | 69% | 29% | 2% | 164 adults | |||
Florida | 69% | 28% | 3% | 1,457 adults | |||
Georgia | 62% | 36% | 3% | 601 adults | |||
Hawaii | 69% | 30% | 1% | 157 adults | |||
Idaho | 64% | 36% | N/A | 167 adults | |||
Illinois | 77% | 20% | 2% | 740 adults | |||
Indiana | 67% | 31% | 1% | 414 adults | |||
Iowa | 75% | 20% | 4% | 218 adults | |||
Kansas | 69% | 30% | 1% | 177 adults | |||
Kentucky | 57% | 42% | 1% | 516 adults | |||
Louisiana | 62% | 36% | 2% | 214 adults | |||
Maine | 82% | 19% | N/A | 167 adults | |||
Maryland | 71% | 26% | 2% | 401 adults | |||
Massachusetts | 83% | 12% | 4% | 446 adults | |||
Michigan | 68% | 30% | 2% | 715 adults | |||
Minnesota | 77% | 21% | 2% | 403 adults | |||
Mississippi | 49% | 48% | 4% | 178 adults | |||
Missouri | 63% | 36% | 1% | 406 adults | |||
Montana | 70% | 29% | 1% | 164 adults | |||
Nebraska | 60% | 33% | 6% | 163 adults | |||
Nevada | 78% | 20% | 2% | 196 adults | |||
New Hampshire | 82% | 17% | 1% | 182 adults | |||
New Jersey | 76% | 21% | 3% | 590 adults | |||
New Mexico | 72% | 28% | 1% | 527 adults | |||
New York | 75% | 21% | 3% | 1,133 adults | |||
North Carolina | 65% | 34% | 2% | 686 adults | |||
North Dakota | 66% | 34% | 1% | 157 adults | |||
Ohio | 70% | 28% | 2% | 837 adults | |||
Oklahoma | 54% | 44% | 2% | 200 adults | |||
Oregon | 78% | 22% | N/A | 325 adults | |||
Pennsylvania | 68% | 29% | 3% | 979 adults | |||
Rhode Island | 80% | 14% | 6% | 157 adults | |||
South Carolina | 55% | 40% | 6% | 304 adults | |||
South Dakota | 63% | 37% | 1% | 156 adults | |||
Tennessee | 52% | 44% | 4% | 436 adults | |||
Texas | 62% | 36% | 2% | 1,611 adults | |||
Utah | 65% | 34% | 1% | 193 adults | |||
Vermont | 70% | 29% | N/A | 156 adults | |||
Virginia | 74% | 24% | 2% | 652 adults | |||
Washington | 83% | 15% | 2% | 583 adults | |||
West Virginia | 62% | 38% | 1% | 156 adults | |||
Wisconsin | 72% | 26% | 2% | 466 adults | |||
Wyoming | 62% | 38% | N/A | 161 adults | |||
District of Columbia | 78% | 17% | 4% | 160 adults | Public Religion Research Institute Archived February 21, 2019, at the Wayback Machine |
Date(s) conducted | Metro area | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 7, 2020-December 20, 2020 | Albany | 83% | 9% | 8% | 185 adults | Public Religion Research Institute | Telephone and cell phone interviews [101] |
Albuquerque | 81% | 11% | 7% | 174 adults | |||
Allentown | 63% | 35% | 1% | 155 adults | |||
Atlanta | 62% | 34% | 5% | 1,070 adults | |||
Austin | 74% | 23% | 3% | 266 adults | |||
Baltimore | 68% | 27% | 6% | 460 adults | |||
Birmingham | 65% | 35% | 0% | 194 adults | |||
Boston | 80% | 16% | 4% | 674 adults | |||
Buffalo | 43% | 46% | 10% | 206 adults | |||
Charlotte | 63% | 30% | 7% | 383 adults | |||
Chicago | 71% | 25% | 4% | 1,167 adults | |||
Cincinnati | 70% | 27% | 3% | 358 adults | |||
Cleveland | 89% | 6% | 5% | 330 adults | |||
Columbus | 62% | 35% | 3% | 360 adults | |||
Dallas | 73% | 22% | 5% | 922 adults | |||
Denver | 80% | 15% | 5% | 508 adults | |||
Detroit | 69% | 24% | 6% | 728 adults | |||
Fresno | 51% | 44% | 5% | 126 adults | |||
Grand Rapids | 53% | 45% | 2% | 149 adults | |||
Hartford | 89% | 11% | 0% | 187 adults | |||
Houston | 67% | 29% | 4% | 782 adults | |||
Indianapolis | 69% | 25% | 6% | 393 adults | |||
Jacksonville | 86% | 11% | 3% | 270 adults | |||
Kansas City | 58% | 35% | 7% | 280 adults | |||
Knoxville | 63% | 29% | 7% | 155 adults | |||
Las Vegas | 77% | 19% | 4% | 317 adults | |||
Los Angeles | 70% | 25% | 5% | 781 adults | |||
Louisville | 79% | 13% | 8% | 229 adults | |||
Memphis | 73% | 22% | 5% | 160 adults | |||
Miami | 81% | 15% | 4% | 974 adults | |||
Milwaukee | 76% | 24% | 0% | 245 adults | |||
Minneapolis-St. Paul | 79% | 17% | 5% | 587 adults | |||
Nashville | 80% | 15% | 5% | 262 adults | |||
New Orleans | 68% | 31% | 0% | 168 adults | |||
New York City | 67% | 28% | 5% | 3,004 adults | |||
Oklahoma City | 62% | 30% | 8% | 188 adults | |||
Omaha | 86% | 14% | 0% | 149 adults | |||
Orlando | 77% | 16% | 7% | 446 adults | |||
Philadelphia | 70% | 23% | 7% | 937 adults | |||
Phoenix | 66% | 27% | 7% | 724 adults | |||
Pittsburgh | 80% | 18% | 1% | 427 adults | |||
Portland | 76% | 17% | 6% | 464 adults | |||
Providence | 62% | 32% | 6% | 212 adults | |||
Raleigh | 46% | 45% | 10% | 232 adults | |||
Richmond | 74% | 20% | 7% | 189 adults | |||
Riverside | 73% | 19% | 8% | 544 adults | |||
Rochester | 71% | 26% | 3% | 170 adults | |||
Sacramento | 73% | 26% | 1% | 348 adults | |||
Salt Lake City | 58% | 38% | 3% | 209 adults | |||
San Antonio | 71% | 16% | 12% | 326 adults | |||
San Diego | 82% | 18% | 1% | 461 adults | |||
San Francisco | 78% | 21% | 1% | 703 adults | |||
San Jose | 86% | 13% | 2% | 220 adults | |||
Seattle | 73% | 23% | 5% | 656 adults | |||
St. Louis | 68% | 25% | 6% | 400 adults | |||
Tampa-St. Petersburg | 70% | 26% | 4% | 566 adults | |||
Tucson | 82% | 7% | 10% | 194 adults | |||
Virginia Beach | 65% | 20% | 16% | 316 adults | |||
Washington D.C. | 71% | 25% | 4% | 1,174 adults |
Date(s) conducted | Region | Favor state sanctioned same-sex marriage / Support state sanctioned same-sex marriage |
Oppose state sanctioned same-sex marriage | Don't Know / Refused / No answer |
Margin of error | Sample | Conducted by | Polling type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 5, 2017 – December 23, 2017 | Midwest | 62% | 31% | 8% | 0.6% | Public Religion Research Institute Archived February 21, 2019, at the Wayback Machine | Telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 53% | 2.82% | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 62% | 33% | 6% | 552 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
April 5, 2017 – December 23, 2017 | Northeast | 69% | 23% | 8% | 0.6% | Public Religion Research Institute Archived February 21, 2019, at the Wayback Machine | Telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 70% | 2.82% | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 73% | 23% | 4% | 432 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | ||
March 12, 2018 – March 25, 2018 | South [a] | 55% | 42% | 3% | 2.4% | 4,132 adult residents | NBC News / SurveyMonkey | Online survey |
April 5, 2017 – December 23, 2017 | West | 66% | 26% | 9% | 0.6% | Public Religion Research Institute Archived February 21, 2019, at the Wayback Machine | Telephone interviews and cell phone interviews | |
August 5, 2017 – August 9, 2017 | 67% | 2.82% | NBC News / Wall Street Journal | Live interviews and cell phone interviews | ||||
June 8, 2017 – June 18, 2017 | 68% | 28% | 4% | 577 adults | Pew Research Center | Landline telephone interviews and cell phone interviews |
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a dramatic wave began to form in the waters of public opinion: American attitudes involving homosexuality began to change... The transformation of America's response to homosexuality has been — and continues to be — one of the most rapid and sustained shifts in mass attitudes since the start of public polling.
The vast majority of Americans (70%) favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally, compared to 28% of Americans who oppose it. Majorities of Democrats (80%) and independents (76%), as well as half of Republicans (50%), support same-sex marriage.
Solid majorities across both parties agree that... marrying someone of the same sex...are rights that should be guaranteed to all citizens...
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