A recent poll by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) shows that for the first time the majority of politically conservative Americans now support same-sex marriage.
According to the poll, 51% of Republicans “support allowing gay and lesbian couples to legally marry, up from 47% support in 2019. Independents are also at a new high point, with 72% support, up from the mid-60s in the past few years. More than three in four Democrats (76%) support same-sex marriage, up from 70% in 2019 but similar to 77% in 2018.”
This support also extends to various religious groups as well, with “non-Christian religious Americans (76%), white Catholics (75%), white mainline Protestants (72%), and Hispanic Catholics (71%); as do 81% of religiously unaffiliated Americans” in favor of same-sex marriage. “Majorities of black protestants (57%), other protestants of color (56%), and Hispanic Protestants (51%) support same-sex marriage, but support drops below half among white evangelical Protestants (43%).”
When looking more broadly at the situation, only 20% of the U.S. population either is completely or somewhat against pro-LGBTQ policies.
More Americans are also identifying as members of the LGBT community, according to a Gallup Poll published in 2021, with 5.6% of the U.S. population now self-identifying somewhere in the spectrum. This number is up from 4.5% in 2017 and up from 3.5% in 2012.
The poll shows that of those who self-identify as LGBT, the majority (54.6%) consider themselves bisexual, 24.5% consider themselves as gay, 11.7% as lesbian and 11.3% as transgender.
When looking at the U.S. population overall, self-identified bisexuals make up only 3.1% of the population, gays 1.4%, lesbians 0.7% and transgenders 0.6%. There is a category identified as “other” (queer, same-gender-loving, etc.), which accounts for 3.3% of the LGBT self-identified and only 0.2% of the general U.S. population.
For conservative Christians, who still believe in the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman, these results are sobering but not necessarily surprising. Over the years, it’s become clear conservatives are losing the cultural battle when it comes to some LGBT issues, especially on the subject of marriage.
There is no doubt that the legalization of same-sex marriage played a large role in this trend. Once something becomes law, like abortion and same-sex marriage, it’s easier for the general population to accept it without question. The Supreme Court, which is filled with some of the most brilliant legal minds in the country, affirmed it so why should the people question it.
In regard to abortion, it took at least a good decade or two for the tide to turn and a growing group of pro-life Americans to begin to voice their outrage against the vile practice. At this point, abortion still remains one of the most contested issues in the country, with about half identifying as pro-life and the other as pro-choice.
Will the same happen with the LGBT agenda? Only time will tell, but momentum currently favors the LGBT community with its increase presence and influence in politics, culture and entertainment.
That’s why it’s important for Christians across the country to continue to stand strong on the biblical definition of marriage, despite the growing societal pressures.
Resources:
Building a Biblical Worldview of Marriage and Family
Responding in Grace on Divisive Issues
Why is a Christian Worldview Important?
Photo from Shutterstock
