GLAAD RESPONDS TO RECORD HIGH SUPPORT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY, SEVEN YEARS AFTER LANDMARK OBERGEFELL RULING

GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is responding to a new Gallup poll showing 71% of Americans support marriage equality, another record high for the poll conducted each year since the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing marriage for LGBTQ people nationwide.

The poll shows data from Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey conducted May 2-22. Over time, it has shown Americans support marriage equality for LGBTQ couples in increasingly high numbers—up to the current all-time high of 71% from just 27% when the question was first added in 1996. According to Gallup, the percentage of Americans supporting marriage equality has steadily increased annually.

In a U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion leaked in early May that would overturn the landmark abortion decision Roe v. Wade, Justice Samuel Alito made comparisons to Obergefell v. Hodges that were widely interpreted as threatening the 2015 landmark ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. GLAAD responded to that draft here. Justice Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas also criticized the Obergefell decision on the first day of the Court’s 2020 session, claiming it was a “problem” for the Court to fix.

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis responded on Twitter, and here:

“Seven years after Obergefell, it’s ever more apparent that LGBTQ couples are worthy of love and recognition and that our families are welcome and valued. Obergefell and Roe are landmark decisions for a reason: because they ensure freedoms and protections and are fully supported by a wide majority of Americans. If anything, Congress and the Supreme Court should move to reflect the will of the people by codifying protections against discrimination. Being free to contribute to the success of our communities and country should never be left up to extremist lawmakers or a handful of disapproving justices on the Court.”

Americans widely oppose Obergefell being overturned, according to a May 26th Momentive/The 19th poll showing 70% of all Americans want marriage equality rights to remain in place—including a majority of Republicans.

In a February 2022 survey, Gallup found that the overall number of out LGBTQ Americans had increased to 7.1%, up from 5.6% in 2020. The number of people self-identifying as LGBTQ increased with each generation, with Gen Z showing the highest numbers at 20.8%. GLAAD’s response to that population increase is here, and pointed to widening support, visibility, and increased representation and equality as reasons why more Americans are able to come out and live as their authentic selves.