Two Years After Obergefell Republicans One of Few Groups Still Opposed to Same-Sex Marriage

Less Than Half of Republicans Support Same-Sex Marriage

Two years after the Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Obergefell support for same-sex marriage has continued to grow at a rapid pace, jumping seven points in just the past year. Now 62 percent of all Americans support the right of same-sex couples to marry.

But Republicans continue to refuse to support equality, and have become one of the few groups in America still opposed to same-sex marriage. Support overall is growing, “even among groups that had been skeptical,” a just-released Pew Research Center study finds. Yet Republicans are nearly evenly split, with 48 percent opposed to marriage equality, and 47 percent in support. By comparison, 76 percent of Democrats support marriage for same-sex couples, and just 19 percent are opposed.

Removing party labels, conservatives overall are even more against equality. 55 percent of conservatives oppose equality, while 90 percent of liberals are in support.

Other groups have grown in their support. 51 percent of Blacks now support marriage equality, a huge jump of 12 points in two years. 60 percent of Hispanics, and 64 percent of whites also are in support. 56 percent of Baby Boomers now are in support, as are 67 percent of Catholics.

Still opposed are the majority of white evangelical Protestants (59%).

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Image by Ted Eytan via Flickr and a CC license