Perceived Impact of Same-sex Marriage on the Family, Religious Freedom, and the LGBTQ+ Community
摘要
As we mark the 10 year anniversary for federal marriage equality, attitudes toward same-sex marriage are generally supportive though there seems to be an increasing partisan divide. Opposition to same-sex marriage has often focused on the potential impact of queer couples marrying on the family, religion, and society, a concern that remains untested and without evidence. This study offers the first national look at the perceived impact of same-sex marriage.
MethodsData come from the American Marriage Survey (AMS), a national probability-based sample of 2,789 Americans conducted in summer 2021. We examine public opinion regarding whether same-sex marriage has had a positive impact, negative impact, or no impact on the family, religious freedom, the LGBT community, and society. Multinomial logistic regression models examine predictors of these attitudes.
ResultsResults show that most Americans say same-sex marriage has no impact on society, the family, or religious freedom and a positive impact on the LGBT community. Women, sexual minorities, and those who know a same-sex couple are more likely to perceive a positive impact while Republicans, Independents, and those who attend religious services more frequently are more likely to perceive a negative impact of same-sex marriage. However, Republicans and Independents are more likely to view same-sex marriage positively if they know a same-sex couple, while Democrats show no effect, likely because they already hold supportive or neutral views.
Conclusions and Policy ImplicationsOverall, the anticipated fears of same-sex marriage have not come to fruition as most Americans view same-sex marriage as largely unproblematic in everyday life. These findings have political implications given the recent challenges to marriage equality.