New Poll Shows U.S. Support For Same-Sex Marriage Has Dropped

A new poll shows U.S. support for gay marriage has shifted since Trump took office, dropping considerably for the first time in years.

The annual poll from the Economist/YouGov surveyed 1,623 adult U.S. citizens between October 24 and October 27, asking whether they they think same-sex marriage should be legal. 54 per cent said yes, 33 per cent said no, and 13 per cent were unsure.

It’s a markedly distinct drop compared to data less than five years ago: a 2021 poll from Gallup found that 70 per cent of Americans supported same-sex marriage.

The recent data also showed that Americans are, on average, less supportive of trans rights, with 41 per cent of respondents agreeing with the statement “our society has gone too far in accepting people who are transgender”, while 64 per cent opposed allowing transgender students to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity.

A 2025 Gallup poll found that while 68 per cent of U.S. adults surveyed supported same-sex marriage, there was a 47-point gap between political parties’ support for marriage equality, in what is the largest gap between the parties since Gallup began asking the question 29 years ago.

41 per cento of Republicans and 88 per cent of Democrats agreed that same-sex marriages should be “recognised by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages”, representing that lowest Republican support for same-sex marriage in a decade.

Data comes as legal challenges to LGBTQIA+ rights arise

A little over a decade since same-sex marriage was legalised in the U.S., the data comes as LGBTQIA+ rights in the United States are increasingly under attack from the Trump administration and those emboldened by his movement.

Under his presidency, diversity and inclusion initiatives in federal agencies have been stripped back and censored, trans people have been banned from school sports and the military, and federally-funded healthcare for trans people of any age has been prohibited.

On Monday, the Supreme Court rejected a call from former county clerk Kim Davis to overturn the landmark decision that legalised same-sex marriage across the US.

Although same-sex marriage is federally safe for now, nine states have either introduced legislation aimed at blocking new marriage licenses for same-sex couples or passed resolutions urging the Supreme Court to reverse Obergefell as soon as possible, including Michigan, Montana, and South Dakota.

Only four months ago, American civil rights activist and lead plaintiff, Jim Obergefell warned that same-sex marriage could be “erased” under the new administration.

“We have taken some great steps forward, but with every bit of progress in our nation, we take steps back. If we don’t remind people where we’ve been, we’re going to lose it,” he said in an interview with Out Magazine.

“There are millions of people out there fighting [once again] for what’s right, fighting to make the world better.”