Research on Public Opinion and Voting Behavior Related to LGBT People Heterosexuals ’ opinions about homosexuals and homosexuality (change over time, correlates) Heterosexual voting on civil rights initiatives Bisexual/Gay/Lesbian voting behavior and party identification

Sexual Relations between Two Adults of Same Sex are Always Wrong (GSS, )

Allow Homosexuals to be Teachers (GSS, )

Society Should Accept Homosexuality as a Way of Life (source: Pew) DatePercentage July % April April June August September June December October March January March

Mean Thermometer Ratings--Homosexuals (NES, )

Thermometer Ratings of Other Groups (2008 NES)

Mean Thermometer Ratings: Gays and Lesbians by Race/Ethnicity (2008 NES)

Support for Protection from Job Discrimination NES,

Homosexuals should have equal job opportunities. DatePollPercentage 1977Gallup56% 1982Gallup Gallup Gallup Newsweek Newsweek Newsweek Newsweek83

Homosexuals should have equal job opportunities. DatePollPercentage 2002Newsweek Newsweek Gallup Gallup89

Percent who favor same-sex marriage

Vote for well-qualified homosexual for president. (Source: Gallup) DatePercentage %

Percent who favor same-sex marriage

Reasons for Change Increasing levels of education Less willingness to restrict civil liberties generally Increasing visibility of LGBT people Framing of gay rights movement (minority identity versus sexual conduct) Orientation versus preference Focusing events (e.g., Matthew Shepherd) De-linking of opinions about civil rights from judgments of homosexuality Changing positions of political elites

State and Local Civil Rights Initiatives , 143 Initiatives (105 at local level) , 113 Anti-gay Initiatives , 30 Pro-gay Initiatives , 71% Anti-gay Outcomes (70% at local level) , 90 Initiatives, 75% Anti-gay Outcomes , 53 Initiatives, 64% Anti-gay Outcomes

Factors Affecting Outcomes of Civil Rights Initiatives Jurisdiction size (pro-gay outcome at local level) Education (pro-gay outcome) Gay households (pro-gay outcome) Fundamentalists in electorate (anti-gay outcome)

County-level Vote on Marriage Amendments: California and Florida (Salka and Burnett 2012) VariableProposition 22 California 2000 Proposition 8 California 2008 Marriage Protection Florida 2008 % Republican++ % years old- % White-- SES (educ + income)-- Population density-- % Catholic++- % with religious affiliation + Sample size58 67

Context and Voting on Same-Sex Ballot Measures, (Dyck and Pearson-Merkowitz 2011) VariableDirection of Relation % Urban--- Born-again x % Gay Households- Female--- Black+++ Age+++ Income-- Conservatism+++ Approve of President Bush+++ Republican+++ Born-again Christian+++ Sample size13,452

Age and Social Networks in Gay Civil Rights Acceptance and Voting Behavior (Becker and Scheufele 2011) Variable15-25 Acceptance of Homosexuality 26 and older Acceptance of Homosexuality <35 Support for Gay Marriage Support for Gay Marriage >50 Support for Gay Marriage Female Age--- Conservatism Religiosity--- Evangelical---- Social Network++ Education Deliberative Engagement +++ Sample size

Heterosexuals’ Attitudes Toward Transgender People: Feeling Thermometer Scores (Norton and Herek 2012) VariableDirection of Relation Female++ Education++ Anti-egalitarianism-- Gender binary beliefs- Authoritarianism- Female x Religiosity--- Attitudes toward gay men+++ Sample size2281

Cohort and Tolerance Source: Robert Andersen and Tina Fetner, Cohort Differences in Tolerance of Homosexuality

Public Opinion and Economic Development Source: Robert Andersen and Tina Fetner, Economic Inequality and Intolerance: Attitudes toward Homosexuality in 35 Democracies

Approval of Homosexuality in the Americas (Encarnacion 2011) Percentage of Respondents Demonstrating High Tolerance of Homosexuality Above 50%50-40%40-30%30-20%20-10%10-0% ArgentinaBrazilColombiaBoliviaEl SalvadorHaiti CanadaCosta RicaDominican Republic GuatemalaJamaica USMexicoEcuadorGuyana UruguayNicaraguaPanamaHonduras VenezualaParaguayTrinidad & Tobago Peru