Support for LGBTQ People on the Decline in Great Britain

Acceptance of homosexuality is on the decline in the United Kingdom for the first time in decades, according to new survey findings by NatCen Social Research.

The British Social Attitudes survey has tracked support for same-sex relationships over the past 35 years. This year marked the first time since 1987 that the number of people saying same-sex relationships are "not wrong at all" went down.

The survey shows around 66 percent of British individuals have no problem with gay relationships, still much higher than the 17 percent of people who felt the same way when the survey began in 1983 or the 11 percent who said the same at the height of the AIDS crisis in 1987.

At the low point in acceptance, the "Don't Die of Ignorance" campaign that raised awareness of the AIDS was at full throttle.

But it's less clear what is driving change now. The BSA survey shows about 68 percent of British individuals had no problem with gay and lesbian relationships in 2017. Support has also dropped for pre-marital sex.

"This liberalisation of attitudes does appear to be slowing down," the survey report states.

Notably, the acceptance rate still remains higher than in 2016, when it sat around 64 percent. The slight changes could be statistical noise, and authors of the report stress support for same-sex relationships seems to be holding around two thirds.

"While we have a new and radically transformed set of social norms in the field of sexual relations and gender, we also have a significant minority who feel differently about these issues, and that minority may become increasingly focused on ensuring that socially conservative views and voices are reflected in public discussion of gender and relationships."

The same survey finds that while 83 percent of British people consider themselves "not prejudiced at all" against transgender individuals, 49 percent consider being transgender "always wrong" while just 6 percent say that is "never" or "rarely" wrong.

The British study comes out weeks after a new report by GLAAD found a decline among American young adults in LGBTQ acceptance.