---
title: "Disapprove of Gay and Lesbian Couples Raising Children"
description: "A little more than a third of Americans (35%) say that the increasing number of gay couples raising children is a bad thing for society, down from 50% in 2007."
date: "2011-06-02"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2011/06/02/disapprove-of-gay-and-lesbian-couples-raising-children/"
---

# Disapprove of Gay and Lesbian Couples Raising Children

Over the past few years Americans has become less averse to gay couples raising children. In 2007, fully half the public (50%) said that the increasing number of gay and lesbian couples raising children was a bad thing for society. Currently, just 35% say gay couples raising children is a bad thing. Far more Americans now say gay couples raising children does not make much difference (34% in 2007, 48% today), while the number saying it is a good thing for society has not changed much (11% then, 14% today). While there continue to be sizable partisan differences in opinions about gay parenting, negative views have declined across-the-board. A 53%-majority of Republicans say gay couples raising children is a bad thing for society, but this opinion has fallen by 17 points since 2007. Younger adults are less likely to say gay parenting is a bad thing for society than are older adults, and college graduates are less likely than those with a high school education or less to say it’s a bad thing. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1994/poll-support-for-acceptance-of-homosexuality-gay-parenting-marriage)