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Report
The Effect of Same-Sex Marriage Policy on Mass Attitudes
Backlash, consensus, legitimacy, or polarization
January 2016
This study assesses the effect of marriage equality on public attitudes toward gay men and lesbians by comparing data from surveys before and after marriage was extended to same-sex couples. It was published in Political Research Quarterly in December 2015.
Highlights
Policy changes play a role in encouraging people to reconsider their previous opinions on LGBT rights and attitudes toward gay men and lesbians.
Instilling new policy supportive of a minority group fosters greater approval, or at least less opposition, to that group.
The analysis found no large or long-lasting negative reaction to marriage equality among the general public.