Two-Thirds of Democrats Now Support Gay Marriage | Pew Rearch Center

Contents:

• HOW CONGRS ACHIEVED A HISTORIC BREAKTHROUGH ON GAY MARRIAGE
• TWO-THIRDS OF DEMOCRATS NOW SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE
• GAY MARRIAGE AND THE DEMOCRATIC BASE
• IS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S GAY MARRIAGE PLATFORM GOOD POLICS?
• DEMOCRATS DELAY SENATE VOTE TO PROTECT GAY MARRIAGE AS G.O.P. BALKS

HOW CONGRS ACHIEVED A HISTORIC BREAKTHROUGH ON GAY MARRIAGE

More pennts who lean toward the Democratic Party (81%) favor gay marriage than Democrats (71%). Support for gay marriage at 70% for first time.

TWO-THIRDS OF DEMOCRATS NOW SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE

A small mory of Amerins (27%) supported legal regnn of gay and lbian marriag 1996, when Gallup first asked the qutn. Hodg cisn 2015, support for gay marriage had reached 60%. For the First Time, a Small Majory of Republins Support Gay Marriage.

This uld suggt that support for gay marriage has reached a ceilg for this group, at least for now.

Adults, who were once holdouts support for gay marriage, now e down on the same si of the issue as young adults. “I have suggted to others that not only would I like to see Roe, Casey, and Griswold on ntraceptn dified but I’ve also ma clear my support for, for gay marriage years ago, ” she said.

GAY MARRIAGE AND THE DEMOCRATIC BASE

As recently as 2004, nearly twice as many Amerins opposed than favored allowg gay and lbian people to marry legally; by 2019, public opn had reversed, wh 61% favor and 31% opposed. Hoeholds wh same-sex Supreme Court had jt overturned s own lgs on abortn rights, and nservative Jtice Clarence Thomas openly med his ncurrg opn whether the urt's landmark 2015 cisn on gay marriage -- which he said was based on "legal fictn" -- should be next.

Tammy Baldw, the first openly gay senator and a longtime LGBTQ rights the Hoe ph through a party-le gay rights bill to send a polil msage ahead of the midterm electns? "This is the first signifint promise between gay rights groups and relig liberty groups, " said Layck, a profsor of nstutnal law at the Universy of Virgia.

IS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S GAY MARRIAGE PLATFORM GOOD POLICS?

Baldw and Sema along wh three Republins: San Colls of Mae, who was known to cross party l; Rob Portman of Oh, who a ago changed his md on same-sex marriage after learng his son was gay; and Thom Tillis of North Carola, who had backed this year's bipartisan package on gun safety. Mike Lee of Utah and Jam Lankford of Oklahoma, who ntend would set a natnal policy on gay marriage that uniquely expos church and anizatns to after the Church of J Christ and several relig liberty scholars publicly signed on, the dozen Senate Republins joed support and guaranteed s the end, both LGBTQ rights groups and relig eedom advot claimed victory -- an achievement Sema noted at a news nference celebratg the bill's passage the Senate. Liz Cheney of Wyomg -- a break om her past stance on the issue, which publicly put her at odds wh her parents and sister, who is gay.

"I've ma clear my support for gay marriage years ago. Today, 73% of Millennials say gays and lbians should be allowed to marry legally, while jt 24% say they should not. Gen Xers, the next youngt hort, also support gay marriage, though by a narrower marg (59% favor, 39% oppose).

Among olr horts, Boomers (ag 51 to 69) are currently divid (45% favor, 48% oppose), while Silents (ag 70-87) are the only generatn which signifintly more oppose (53%) than favor (39%) gay marriage. In 2005, 53% of Silent Democrats opposed gay marriage, while jt 31% favored .

DEMOCRATS DELAY SENATE VOTE TO PROTECT GAY MARRIAGE AS G.O.P. BALKS

Today, 54% support gay marriage and 34% are opposed. Support for gay marriage among Silent Republins and Republin leaners also has creased over the past (by 14 pots). However, Silent Republins oppose allowg gays and lbians to marry legally by three-to-one (72% to 24%).