For the first time in nearly a decade, support for same-sex marriage in America has dipped, according to a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute. The Institute’s American Values Atlas reveals a drop from 69% in 2022 to 67% in 2023. This is the first decrease since a slight dip from 54% to 53% between 2014 and 2015. Notably, support among Republicans has fallen from 49% to 47% in the last year while Democrat support has risen from 65% in 2014 to 82% in 2023.
The survey also showed a decline in support among religious groups. While support remains highest among religiously unaffiliated, Buddhists, and Jewish Americans, there has been a perceptible drop among American Catholics—from 75% to 73%. Even more acute was the decrease among Hispanic Catholics from 75% to 68%.
In addition, although a majority of Americans still support LGBT non-discrimination policies, over-all support has also seen a slight descent from 80% in 2022 to 76% in 2023. Against this backdrop, the Institute’s survey found that over half of those identifying as LGBT are religiously unaffiliated and a third identify as Christian.
Meg Kilgannon of Family Research Council argues that the framing of the survey reflects the left’s tactic to cast those who oppose same-sex marriage as troublemakers. She adds that as people live with the effects of sexual liberation, they may become less comfortable with it.