LGBT support continues dropping nationwide, Gallup poll shows 

American support for LGBT issues continues to fall, according to a new Gallup poll.

The poll found 65% of U.S. adults say same-sex marriage should be legal. While the number is a majority, it is down from 71% in 2022 and 2023, a nearly 10% drop.

Gallup also found 62% of Americans say gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable – the lowest number Gallup has recorded on this question since 2016.

Support for changing one’s so-called gender identity is lower.

Gallup found 38% of Americans say changing one’s gender identity is morally acceptable, down from 46% in 2021.

The numbers show a shift after years of rising support for LGBT causes.

From 1996 to 2022, support for legal same-sex marriage rose from 27% to 71%, according to Gallup. However, it has now dropped in each of the past three polls.

Views on gay and lesbian relations have followed a similar path.

In 2001, 40% of Americans said gay and lesbian relations were morally acceptable. This number rose to 71% in 2022 but fell to 64% in 2023 and now stands at 62%.

The drop has been especially sharp among Republicans.

Gallup found 37% of Republicans now support legal same-sex marriage, down from 55% in 2021 and 2022.

Just 35% of Republicans say gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable – down 21 percentage points from 2022. Only 5% of Republicans say changing one’s gender is morally acceptable.

Democrats remain much more supportive of LGBT issues.

Gallup found 87% of Democrats favor legal same-sex marriage. It also found 81% of Democrats say gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable.

On changing one’s gender, 60% of Democrats say it is morally acceptable.

Independents are more divided.

Gallup found 67% of independents support legal same-sex marriage, and 64% say gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable. It also found 42% say changing one’s gender is morally acceptable.

The poll comes as many parents, lawmakers and religious Americans have pushed back against LGBT ideology in schools, sports and government policy.

Those concerns have been strongest on transgender issues.

Gallup found last year that 69% of Americans say transgender athletes should only play on teams that match their sex. It also found 66% of Americans say government documents should list birth sex, not gender identity.

The numbers suggest the country is not moving steadily left on LGBT issues. Instead, many Americans appear to be drawing lines when LGBT policies affect children, women’s sports, parental rights or religious freedom.

Gallup conducted the latest poll May 1-17 of 1,001 U.S. adults. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.