America’s leftward lurch tied to changed views on sexual morality

Americans’ acceptance of [what was once widely considered] sexual immorality is growing, according to a Gallup report.

When asked about the moral acceptability of a range of issues, five of the top six issues that saw an increase in acceptability were related to sexual morality.

Drag queen demonstrators at the steps of the Supreme Court building on April 28. / Samuel Smith
Drag queen demonstrators at the steps of the Supreme Court building on April 28. / Samuel Smith

The largest increase in moral acceptability from 2001 to 2015 was for homosexual relations, which increased 23 percentage points, from 40 to 63 percent. That was followed by having a baby outside of marriage (45 to 61 percent), heterosexual sex outside of marriage (53 to 68 percent), divorce (59 to 71 percent) and polygamy (7 to 16 percent). …

The increased acceptance of sexual immorality also tracks with an increase in those identifying themselves as socially liberal. The percentage of those who say they are social liberals is now the same as those who say they are conservative on social issues (31 percent), according to Gallup.

“This liberalization of attitudes toward moral issues is part of a complex set of factors affecting the social and cultural fabric of the U.S. Regardless of the factors causing the shifts, the trend toward a more liberal view on moral behaviors will certainly have implications for such fundamental social institutions as marriage, the environment in which children are raised and the economy,” Frank Newport, editor in chief for Gallup, wrote.

“The shifts could also have a significant effect on politics, with candidates whose positioning is based on holding firm views on certain issues having to grapple with a voting population that, as a whole, is significantly less likely to agree with conservative positions than it might have been in the past.”

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