Support for Same-Sex Marriage Plummets For First Time In Years

American Support for Same-Sex Marriage Declining For First Time In Decade: Survey

The U.S. has seen its first decline in support for same-sex marriage in nearly a decade, according to a new survey.

The Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) released updates to its American Values Atlas on Tuesday, showing that public backing for same-sex marriage decreased from 69% to 67% between 2022 and 2023.

The last time Americans support for same-sex marriage dropped was between 2014 and 2015, from 54 to 53 percent, The Hill reports.

PRRI’s chief executive Melissa Deckman weighed in on the decline of support, stating, “our survey shows that support for LGBTQ rights has dipped slightly from 2022 to 2023, although the vast majority of Americans continue to endorse anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans and the rights of same-sex couples to marry.”

Internet commenters have criticized Deckman’s statement, pointing to the LGBT movement shifting the Overton window from working towards getting married to sexualizing children over the past 10 years.

Good. The trend should continue. Funny how we went from “let us get married” to “let me mutilate your child” in a decade.

— KronK (@kronk99) March 12, 2024

It will continue to drop, so long as the new class of LGBTQ activists focus all their energies on kids.

— Political Sock (@politicalsock) March 12, 2024

Notably, the PRRI updated study found that 52% of those who identify as LGBTQ identify as religiously unaffiliated, The Washington Stand highlighted.

Approximately 35% of individuals who identify as LGBTQ also identify as Christian, but the institute pointed out that those who oppose “Christian nationalism” overwhelmingly support both same-sex marriage and nondiscrimination policies, with nearly unanimous backing at 93%.

PRRI noted those identified as religiously unaffiliated make up “nearly twice the rate of the general U.S. population (27%).”

Meg Kilgannon, Family Research Council senior fellow, said in comments to The Washington Stand, “it’s interesting to me that this very sophisticated survey funded by pro-LGBT advocacy organizations managed to have a series of questions related to ‘Christian nationalist’ support for/opposition to LGBT rights or protections.”

She added, “That’s classic framing by the Left, casting Christians—or simply people who don’t think men can marry other men—as the odious troublemakers. The longer we live with the effects of sexual liberation, the less people will like it.”