The Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), an organization researching and advocating at the intersections of religion and public life, published new data recently about American opinions of LGBTQ+ rights across all 50 states and D.C. The results are based on over 22,000 interviews with adults throughout 2025, and they evaluate public opinion on LGBTQ+ non-discrimination protections, religiously based service refusals, and same-sex marriage.
The findings show that around 72% of respondents supported non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people and around 65% support same-sex marriage. Despite this, these figures have dropped from recent years.
Approximately, 60% of Americans said they were opposed to businesses refusing service to LGBTQ+ people on the basis of religion. The survey also asked Americans if they thought trans Americans deserved the same rights and protections as other Americans. Findings indicate that 71% agree and 24% disagree.
CEO of PRRI Melissa Deckman, Ph.D, said in their release: “We see a disconnect among many Americans between broadly opposing discrimination against transgender Americans and growing support for bathroom bills. Yet this increase in support for bathroom bills nationally is largely a function of strong movement among Republicans, whose support has nearly doubled in the past decade, from 44% in 2016 to 81% today.”
PRRI’s findings showed that American support for these issues was “starkly divided depending on their state of residence and religious affiliation.”
The study also looked at LGBTQ+ Americans’ religious affiliations, finding that around 51% of queer citizens are religious unaffiliated, compared to 27% of all Americans.
