Support for same-sex marriage is higher among Democratic-identifying voters than Republican-identifying voters; 75% of Democrats support same-sex marriage, while only 37% of Republicans do. The Republican platform reiterates the party’s belief that marriage should be “between one man and one woman,” while the Democratic platform emphasizes its support for LGBTQ rights.
In 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the 14th Amendment requires all states to license marriages between same-sex couples and to recognize all lawful marriages that were conducted out of state. In December 2022, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, enshrining federal protections for same-sex and interracial couples. The Respect for Marriage Act passed in the House with a 258-169-1 vote with 39 Republicans joining Democrats in supporting it. It passed in the Senate 61 to 36 with 12 Republicans crossing party lines to vote for the legislation. A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll conducted in December 2022, found 43% of Republicans support same-sex marriage compared with 87% of Democrats.