{"id":12746,"date":"2016-05-12T10:32:51","date_gmt":"2016-05-12T15:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/support-steady-for-same-sex-marriage-and-acceptance-of-homosexuality\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:18:13","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:18:13","slug":"support-steady-for-same-sex-marriage-and-acceptance-of-homosexuality","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2016\/05\/12\/support-steady-for-same-sex-marriage-and-acceptance-of-homosexuality\/","title":{"rendered":"Support steady for same-sex marriage and acceptance of homosexuality"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Support<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Nearly a year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an unprecedented ruling<\/a> that determined same-sex couples had a constitutional right to marry, a decision that legalized same-sex marriage throughout the country. While the public\u2019s attitudes toward gay marriage remain unchanged from a year ago, they have changed dramatically over the past two decades.<\/p>\n\n

Now, just over half of Americans (55%) say they favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally, while 37% remain opposed, according to Pew Research Center\u2019s March<\/a> poll. A decade ago, the balance of opinion was reversed: 55% were opposed, while 35% were in favor.<\/p>\n\n

(Interactive:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>See a slideshow<\/em><\/a> illustrating changing attitudes on same-sex marriage.)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n

\"Conservative<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

And as was the case a year ago, there remains a substantial divide between partisans on the issue. Democrats are more than twice as likely as Republicans to favor gay marriage (70% vs. 33%).<\/p>\n\n

Yet there are key differences within the two parties as well. Among Republicans, 71% of conservative Republicans oppose allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally, more than twice the share of GOP moderates and liberals (34%). A 55% majority of moderate and liberal Republicans favor allowing same-sex marriage.<\/p>\n\n

Within the GOP, these ideological differences also are notable across voters\u2019 primary preferences for the party\u2019s 2016 presidential nominee. About half (52%) of GOP voters who back Donald Trump (now the party\u2019s presumptive nominee) say they oppose same-sex marriage, compared with 70% who preferred Ted Cruz and just 37% who backed John Kasich.<\/p>\n\n

Democrats across the board are supportive of gay marriage (70% favor, 24% oppose), with slight differences by ideology and candidate preference. Liberal Democrats overwhelmingly support gay marriage (84%), compared with a smaller majority of their conservative and moderate counterparts (59% favor). And a wide 83% majority of Bernie Sanders supporters are supportive of gays and lesbians marrying legally (just 15% are opposed), compared with a smaller majority of Hillary Clinton supporters (68%).<\/p>\n\n

\"Younger,<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Views on gay marriage also vary by age, education and religious affiliation.<\/p>\n\n

The March survey finds a familiar pattern in views of same-sex marriage across age categories: People younger than 30 are most supportive (73%), followed by those who are ages 30 to 49 (61%), those 50 to 64 (47%) and, finally, those 65 and older (38%).<\/p>\n\n

Among those with higher levels of education, there is widespread support. A large majority of the public with at least a college degree (68%) say same-sex marriage should be legal. By contrast, those with a high school degree or less education are split on the issue: While 45% favor same-sex marriage, 46% are opposed.<\/p>\n\n

Views also differ across religious groups, as well as by frequency of religious service attendance. White evangelical Protestants are far more likely to oppose than to favor same-sex marriage (68% vs. 27%). By contrast, most white mainline Protestants (64%) and Catholics (58%) favor gay marriage. Among the religiously unaffiliated, 80% favor same-sex marriage, while just 12% are opposed.<\/p>\n\n

Views of societal acceptance of homosexuality<\/h3>\n\n
\"Changing<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Today, a 63% majority say homosexuality should be accepted by society, a share that also has grown over the past few decades. Fewer (28%) say homosexuality should be discouraged. But there are differences on the issue among religious and partisan groups.<\/p>\n\n

Some religious groups have become more accepting<\/a> of homosexuality over time while others remain steady. Ten years ago, a 77% majority of those unaffiliated with a religion said homosexuality should be accepted by society, and still today fully 80% say this.<\/p>\n\n

Protestants overall are more likely than they were 10 years ago to say homosexuality should be accepted by society (52% now vs. 38% then). However, Protestant groups continue to have different views of this issue. Among white evangelical Protestants, a third (34%) say homosexuality should be accepted by society, a share that has increased 12 percentage points from 2006. And half of black Protestants now think that homosexuality should be accepted by society, up just slightly from 44% a decade ago.<\/p>\n\n

By contrast, a large majority of white mainline Protestants hold the view that homosexuality should be accepted by society, and this share also has increased over time: Fully three-quarters say this now (76%), compared with 53% in 2006.<\/p>\n\n

Two-thirds of Catholics now say homosexuality should be accepted by society, compared with 22% who say it should be discouraged. Views among Catholics have shifted modestly over the past decade: The share that says homosexuality should be accepted is up 8 points from 2006 (58% said accepted then, 31% discouraged).<\/p>\n\n

\"Increasing<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

When it comes to differences among partisans on whether homosexuality should be accepted by society, there has been a persistent 26-point gap between Republicans and Democrats over the course of a decade.<\/p>\n\n

About three-quarters of Democrats (74%) hold the view that homosexuality should be accepted, up from 59% in 2006. Though slightly fewer independents say the same, they have closely mirrored Democrats on this question over the past decade. Today, two-thirds of independents say homosexuality should be accepted by society, while 25% say it should be discouraged.<\/p>\n\n

\"Over<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Just about half of Republicans (48%) now say homosexuality should be accepted, a number that has ticked up 15 points from its low 10 years ago. Republicans today are somewhat more likely than they were a year ago to say homosexuality should be accepted by society. Up until a year ago, a majority of Republicans thought homosexuality should be discouraged by society, but views have since become more mixed. While 41% of Republicans now say homosexuality should be discouraged, 48% think it should be accepted by society.<\/p>\n\n

Conservative Republicans remain more likely to say homosexuality should be discouraged than say it should be accepted, but just about half say this today (49%) compared with 63% in May 2015.<\/p>\n\n

By contrast, seven-in-ten moderate and liberal Republicans now say homosexuality should be accepted (71%), which is little changed since May 2015.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nearly a year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an unprecedented ruling that determined same-sex couples had a constitutional right to marry, a decision that legalized same-sex marriage throughout the country. While the public\u2019s attitudes toward gay marriage remain unchanged from a year ago, they have changed dramatically over the past two decades. Now, just 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