widening gap – New research using the 2026 State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index finds the gulf between the most LGBTQ+-friendly states and the least continues to widen, with policy and workplace conditions increasingly determined by geography. At the same time, Gallup’s June
On a map, the lines between states are becoming sharper—less like a gradient of progress and more like a split screen of what life can look like depending on your ZIP code.
The 2026 State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index. released with Gallup’s latest “Values and Beliefs” findings. points to a widening divide in how hospitable states are for LGBTQ+ residents and LGBTQ+-related businesses. The index measures legal protections, workplace inclusion, healthcare access, and broader social conditions. It also tracks how much states differ from one another—and the gap. the report says. is now at its widest level on record.
In the Northeast, the rankings stay crowded near the top. Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey occupy the highest tier in the index. Researchers cite a mix of factors—nondiscrimination protections. access to healthcare. and workplace inclusion—working together to keep those states strong. The report adds that this upper tier has remained relatively stable in recent years even as the national landscape has become more polarized.
The same picture grows harsher as you scroll downward. At the bottom sits Arkansas, joined by several Southern states: South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Oklahoma. These states have consistently ranked among the lowest performers since 2019. and the report says the gap between them and higher-ranking states has widened by 11 points.
Researchers say the conditions in many of these states have deteriorated relative to the country’s leaders. widening the distance across multiple areas at once. The index describes the lowest-ranking states as scoring poorly across five categories—legal protections. youth and family support. political climate. healthcare access. and workplace inclusion—suggesting a broader lack of institutional support rather than a single missing policy.
That widening gap matters beyond day-to-day life. The index notes that differences in legal and political environments can affect economic outcomes. including where businesses locate and how easily they can attract and retain talent. In other words. the consequences aren’t only social; they extend into the practical questions of employment. healthcare. and whether a community feels safe enough to build a future.
Even as policy environments diverge, public attitudes show their own shift. Gallup’s June 2026 survey finds support for same-sex marriage at 65 percent, down from 71 percent in 2022 and 2023. It also reports that 62 percent of Americans now view same-sex relationships as morally acceptable—the lowest level recorded since 2016—and 38 percent say changing one’s gender is morally acceptable. reflecting a decline over the past several years. Gallup attributes much of the change to shifts among Republican respondents, saying GOP support has fallen significantly.
For example, support for same-sex marriage dropped from 55 percent in 2021 and 2022 to 37 percent in 2026. By contrast, Democratic support for same-sex marriage has remained stable at 87 percent since 2022.
Taken together. the two reports describe a country moving in different directions depending on region: the State Climate Index says the top-performing and lowest-performing states are becoming more distinct. with fewer states occupying a middle ground. Meanwhile. Gallup’s findings suggest public opinion. while still broadly supportive in many cases. is no longer trending upward and may be stabilizing or declining modestly.
The future doesn’t look like an easy reset. Neither report points toward a rapid narrowing of the divide. Gallup’s long-term data indicates that after two decades of steadily rising support. attitudes may now be entering a period of plateau or modest decline. At the same time. the state index shows policy environments becoming more entrenched—states that lead are maintaining strong protections. while those lagging show little movement upward.
For LGBTQ+ residents. workers. and businesses. that reality keeps landing on something as simple and blunt as geography: where you live may increasingly determine legal protections. workplace opportunities. and access to healthcare. And while some analysts believe economic and workforce pressures—especially as younger generations place a high value on inclusion—could eventually push states toward greater convergence. the evidence in the reports currently points the other way.
For now, the dividing line looks less like a temporary wobble and more like the start of something more durable: a map where the distance between the most and least inclusive states keeps growing, and the middle keeps shrinking.
LGBTQ+ states State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index Gallup Values and Beliefs same-sex marriage support workplace inclusion nondiscrimination protections healthcare access political climate
So basically your ZIP code decides how people get treated now? wild.
I’m not shocked the south is at the bottom but 11 points?? That sounds made up like who even comes up with this index. My cousin lives in SC and says it’s fine most days so I don’t know.
But didn’t Gallup already do this like last year? feels like they just refresh a map and call it research. Also I saw Massachusetts on there and thought wait, isn’t that where everything is expensive? maybe that’s why businesses leave… idk.
Arkansas being last shouldn’t surprise anyone. I’ve heard healthcare for people is terrible there, like even regular stuff. The article talks about workplace inclusion too but companies always say they’re “welcoming” while nothing changes. Then they blame policy like that’s the whole issue.