Two-Thirds of Americans Support Same-Sex Marriage As Record Number Comes Out as LGBTQ

Two-thirds of Americans now support same-sex marriage, while recent survey data from Gallup shows record numbers of people identify as LGBTQ.

A historic 67 percent of respondents told the national research firm that marriages between partners of the same sex should be legal, according to Gallup’s recently released Values and Morals poll. More than 1,000 U.S. adults were reportedly surveyed between May 1 and May 10.

The figure represents a new high-water mark in support for recognition of same-sex relationships, as well as a three percentage point increase from last year.

When Gallup first surveyed Americans as to their opinions on marriage equality back in 1996, fewer than 3 in 10 respondents supported full legal recognition for LGBTQ couples. Meanwhile, a massive 68 percent of those surveyed claimed same-sex marriages should not be affirmed by the federal government.

But almost three years after the Supreme Court legalized marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges, support for same-sex unions is increasing across the board.

Unsurprisingly, Democrats report the highest support for the freedom to marrywith 83 percent of liberals claiming that LGBTQ partners should have the right to wed. A similarly high number of Independents (71 percent) say same-sex couples deserve equal treatment under the law.

Republicans continue to lag behind, with just 44 percent claiming marriage equality should be legal. That actually represents a slight dip from 2017, when 47 percent of conservatives supported same-sex unions.

The survey data was released just as separate Gallup findings show that more Americans identify as LGBTQ than ever before.

Published on Tuesday, the poll finds that 4.5 percent of adults in the U.S. say they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queerwhich comes out to around 11 million people. That represents a full percentage point increase from 2012, when 3.5 percent of adult respondents claimed to be LGBTQ.

Results indicate that women are more likely to identify as queer or trans than men. An estimated 5.1 percent of female respondents report being LGBTQ, as opposed to just 3.9 percent of male-identified individuals.

Gallup believes the rising numbers of queer and transgender people are behind the increase in acceptance for same-sex relationships. According to the nonpartisan research group, 10.4 percent of LGBTQ adults in the U.S. are married to someone of the same sex, meaning that “Americans are more likely to know someone who has married a same-sex partner.”

“The visibility of these marriages may be playing a role in overturning some folks’ previously held opposition to their legal status,” Gallup concludes.

But even despite widespread support for LGBTQ relationships, these couples will continue to face challenges from a presidentialadministration that critics sayhas rolled back queer and trans rights. When Donald Trump ran for president in 2016, he said he would “strongly consider” appointing Supreme Court justices who would overturn marriage equality.

Since his 2017 inauguration, Trump has supported sweeping federal legislation which would allow people of faith to deny services to same-sex couples based on their “sincerely held religious beliefs.”