Research: Gay Marriage and Gay Rights 2021

June 8 2021 by Justin McCarthy

Looking back on 2021, the issue of same-sex marriage is less divisive than it was a few years ago. Survey data indicate growing support for same-sex marriage among US political groups and those who identify themselves as Christian.

Some Christian groups have split over the topic and others seem about to split (e.g., US United methodists).

This post contains some data published in 2021. I have included links for those wanting more details.

Gallup researchers reported that Americans strongly supported gay marriage in 2021.

Key findings from the 2021 Gallup poll indicated support at 70%, which is up 10% since the US Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage.

Officially, most Christian groups oppose gay marriage. Since most Americans identify as Christian, the official position of the church groups is not reflected in the survey results.

A related metric is the change in support among Republicans, which is the political home to most conservative Christians. The support for gay marriage was at 55%, which is the first time most Republicans endorsed support for gay marriage.

A trendline shows a dramatic increase since the 1996 survey showing 27% support.

The survey question was phrased as follows:

“Do you think marriages between same-sex couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?”

Gallup Poll link

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US Discrimination

Should people who identify as LGBTQ be protected against discrimination?

According to results of a survey reported by PRRI in March 2021, most Americans said yes—support was measured at 76%.

US political party affiliation showed majority support: Democrats 85%, Independents 78%, Republicans 62%.

Support for nondiscrimination protection was above average for all identified religious groups.

The lowest support was 62 among White evangelical Protestants compared to 82% for White mainline Protestants. The level of support was above 70% for Jews (79%) and most Christian groups.

US Same Sex Marriage

The PPRI survey also explored support for same-sex marriage among religious groups. Here are some of the data:

White Catholics 75%

Hispanic Catholics 71%

Evangelical Protestants 43%

Jewish 80%

For the full report, see PPRI

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Same-Sex Marriage World Survey

Statista reported findings from a world survey June 14, 2021. The survey by Ipsos included 19,000 respondents in 27 countries.

Strong support was found in Europe and North America. The lowest levels were from Russia and Malaysia. See the report for more details.

You can download the report from the Ipsos page.

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The Church

The official position of churches is at variance with the views of some congregants as can be seen above. The issue of same-sex marriage continued to be in the news during 2021.

The largest Christian group in the world is the Roman Catholic Church. On March 15 2021, the Vatican issued a clear statement on same-sex unions.

The Roman Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex marriages, no matter how stable or positive the couples' relationships are, the Vatican said on Monday. The message, approved by Pope Francis, came in response to questions about whether the church should reflect the increasing social and legal acceptance of same-sex unions.

Some protestant groups support same-sex marriages or unions but most do not. A current resource listing the positions of religious groups can be found at HRC.

Examples of groups supporting marriage for same-sex couples:

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Judaism (Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reform), Presbyterian Church USA, Religious Society of Friends, United Church of Christ.

Examples of groups not supporting marriage for same-sex couples:

Southern Baptists- two churches removed because of LGBTQ inclusion.

Assemblies of God- Feb 25 2021

The US United Methodist Church appears headed toward a split over LGBTQ inclusion. RNS Nov 22 2021

Same-Sex Marriage is one of the issues in A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures

Learn more about the moral dimensions forming the arguments about same-sex relationships and other moral issues that divide Christian Groups.

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