The vast majority of Americans still support same-sex marriage according to a recent study, which was shared as the Supreme Court decides whether to hear a case that threatens marriage equality.

Research published earlier this week found that 65.8 per cent of Americans support same-sex couples’ right to marry, with 36.2 per cent saying they ‘strongly’ support keeping protections in place.

Comparatively, just 34.3 per cent of respondents said they oppose same-sex marriage, 16.1 per cent of which said they strongly oppose it.

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which commissioned the study, non-LGBTQ+ adults are twice as likely to support marriage equality if they know an LGBTQ+ person.

Political ideology, researchers say, remains the best predictor of attitudes towards the subject. Right-wing adults are the only political demographic more likely to oppose same-sex marriage than support it. 52.8 per cent of conservatives said they oppose same-sex marriage protections, while 48.3 per cent say they support them – a difference of just 4.5 per cent.

Supreme Court considers case threatening same-sex marriage

It comes as the Supreme Court prepares to decide whether it will hear a case challenging same-sex marriage protections brought in 2015 under the Obergefell v Hodges judgement.

Justices will consider the case, brought by former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis, in private on Friday (7 November).

In July, Davis petitioned the nation’s top court to overturn a Court of Appeal’s decision which prevented her from refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples on religious grounds.

While serving as Rowan County clerk, Davis defied a federal court order brought in the aftermath of Obergefell by refusing to issue a marriage license to gay couple David Moore and David Ermold, citing her personal beliefs.

After the couple sued Davis, a US district judge ordered her to issue marriage licenses to all couples, queer or straight, which she again refused to do under what she called “God’s authority.”

She issued the petition to the Supreme Court in July after the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected her appeal, saying her personal beliefs did not override her obligations when acting on behalf of the government.

If the Court agrees to hear the case, the decision could have significant implications on marriage equality in the US.

LGBTQ+ adults have little confidence in US Supreme Court

Asking respondents how much confidence they have in the US Supreme Court, just 34.6 per cent of LGBTQ+ adults said they had a great deal, while 65.4 per cent have hardly any.

Non-LGBTQ+ adults, meanwhile, are predominantly confident in the Supreme Court, with 61.2 per cent expressing confidence compared to 38.8 per cent who are less confident in the panel’s judgement.

Overall, 58.9 per cent of US adults have a great deal of confidence in the US Supreme Court, while 41.1 per cent have hardly any.

Kelley Robinson, HRC’s president, urged the Supreme Court to reject what she called a “paper-thin attempt to undermine marriage equality and the dignity of LGBTQ+ people” in the US.

“Marriage equality isn’t just the law of the land – it’s woven into the fabric of American life,” she said. “For more than a decade, millions of LGBTQ+ couples have gotten married, built families, and contributed to their communities.

“The American people overwhelmingly support that freedom. But Kim Davis and the anti-LGBTQ+ extremists backing her see a cynical opportunity to attack our families and relegate what’s already settled.”

The Williams Institute reports that over 820,000 married same-sex couples live in the US, while research from August suggests that 59 per cent of LGBTQ+ adults want to get married in their lifetime.

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