Pride & Politics: Public Opinion and Political Behavior among Sexual Minorities

Abstract

In recent years, political scientists have learned a great deal about the sources of mass public attitudes towards sexual minorities, but we still know very little about the public opinions and behaviors of sexual minorities themselves. Though the overall estimated percentage of the population that identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender is small, the ongoing battles over the civil rights of sexual minorities continue to hold significant political salience, making study of this population's political attitudes and behaviors both interesting and timely.

Furthermore, despite some significant gains in recent years, disapproval of sexual minorities remains high in many parts of the United States, and for same-sex-attracted individuals in these places, concealment or disclosure of their sexual minority status may have both psychological and political consequences. Study of the complex relationship between concealable minority identity and individual political attitudes and behavior among sexual minorities can also improve our understanding of the political psychology of members of other stigmatized groups, such as atheists, welfare-recipients, immigrants, and, perhaps paradoxically, conservative religionists.

In this three-paper dissertation project, I sought new insights into these issues using data on sexual minorities from the General Social Survey. In Part I, I examined whether public opinion gender gaps known to exist among the general population also are found among sexual minorities, and explored whether different gender norms might diminish any such gaps between men and women who identify as bisexual, gay, or lesbian. In Part II, I investigated whether discrepancies between sexual behavior and sexual identity can influence attitudes towards same-sex marriage among same-sex-attracted individuals. Finally, in Part III, I considered how political ideology and religious belief might affect the decisions of same-sex-attracted individuals as to whether and how to disclose their sexual minority status, that is, whether or not to "come out of the closet."