For the first time in a decade, Americans are more likely to identify as conservative on social issues, according to a Gallup poll released Thursday.
Of the 1,011 participants, 38 percent said they were "socially conservative," a 5 point increase from last year and the highest percentage since 2012. Those who identified as "socially liberal" dropped from 33 percent last year to 29 percent.
"For most of the past eight years, Americans were about as likely to say they were liberal as conservative on social issues. This year, there is a more obvious conservative advantage," Gallup said.
The poll comes at a time when states are wrestling over social policies such as transgenderism, abortion, crime, parental rights, and teaching gender ideology in schools. The growing number of conservatives may result from the strong backlash to liberal leaders' woke agendas, especially in areas related to children and families.
Parents all over the country are voicing their concerns over pornographic content and gender ideology in school curricula and drag queen story hours for children. Nearly three in four U.S. voters oppose schools discussing sexual identity with children without parental consent, according to a June 2023 Rasmussen Report. At least 18 states have banned transgender treatments and sex-change surgeries for minors, and 60 percent of Americans support such bans. Just over 70 percent of all American adults believe there are only two genders.
Even billion-dollar corporations—like Bud-Light and Target, who have pushed LGBTQ activism in their marketing campaigns—are feeling the sting of conservative backlash. Bud-Light's parent company has lost $27 billion in market value since partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Target's market value dropped $15 billion in the first month of releasing its "Pride" collection featuring girl's swimsuits designed to hide male anatomy and LGBTQ merchandise designed by a Satanist.
"Greater social conservatism may be fostering an environment more favorable to passing conservative-leaning social legislation, especially in Republican-dominated states," Gallup concluded.