Republicans in 'messy' war with each other over gay marriage again

A decade after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, the issue is splitting the Republican Party in public.

The latest flashpoint came when Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) posted that "homosexuality has no place in America. Happy Nuclear Family Month," referencing a Tennessee resolution signed by Gov. Bill Lee that defines a family as one husband and one wife. The backlash came largely from his own side. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) called it "an absolutely idiotic statement," and former Rep. George Santos, who is openly gay, said he was "saddened by this insane comment." Ogles deleted the post, blamed a member of his communications team, and called it "stupid" and "hurtful," writing that the employee had been reprimanded.

The episode, reported by The New York Times, reflects a wider fracture.

Establishment Republicans show little appetite for reopening Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 ruling that turns 11 this year. But Christian conservatives, a key part of President Donald Trump's coalition, are pressing the issue with new energy, often through the fight over transgender rights.

A Gallup survey released this month found Republican support for same-sex marriage had fallen to 37 percent, down from 55 percent in 2021 and 2022, with support among independents also declining.

The friction has surfaced elsewhere, including in Congress over Pride Month. Since 2025, lawmakers in about a dozen states have introduced measures urging the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell or limiting marriage to heterosexual couples, according to Lambda Legal. Nearly all died in committee.

The split runs through an uneasy partnership. For years, gay conservatives, most of them men, have operated inside the GOP alongside the party's Christian conservatives, clashing on social questions while finding common ground on issues like the economy. Austin Gilpin, a gay political consultant in Washington who works for candidates in both parties, told the Times the two factions remain bound together because neither can afford to win the fight outright.

"Neither one has the power to muscle the other out of the room," he said. "The coalition is just messy."