Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
In this collection of articles, the various authors examine the interaction of gays and lesbians with the democratic process in regards to public policy, public opinion, and political representation.
Synopsis
From Don't ask, don't tell to the Defense of Marriage Act, from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to the continued battle against AIDS, gays and lesbians have been in the spotlight during the Clinton administration. They now form a political interest group as well as a social community, and political scientists, legal scholars, and the media have started speculating on the impact of this newfound prominence.
Gays and Lesbians in the Democratic Process puts theory to the test by compiling the current research of political scientists working in an empirical tradition. The articles in this volume extend and expand on a growing body of research on the movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered equality in the political world, with a focus on the areas of public policy, public opinion, and political representation. Contributors tackle such questions as: What factors determine the adoption and effectiveness of nondiscrimination policies based on sexual orientation? How do variables of education, religion, and urban location influence public attitudes toward lesbians and gays? How has the emergence of the Christian Right paradoxically helped to consolidate the gay and lesbian movement? How are opportunities for political participation used to advance or curtail lesbian and gay rights? How will voters evaluate openly gay and lesbian candidates for public office?
This book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars of American politics and gay and lesbian studies as well as for community activists.
Table of Contents
Gays and lesbians in the democratic process: past, present, and future / Ellen D.B. Riggle and Barry L. Tadlock -- Spatial and temporal diffusion of local antidiscrimination policies for sexual orientation / Marieka Klawitter and Brian Hammer -- Antidiscrimination laws in local government: a public policy analysis of municipal lesbian and gay public employment protection / John B. Dorris -- Dillon's rule and gay rights: state control over local efforts to protect the rights of lesbians and gay men / Charles W. Gossett -- Elite attitudes toward homosexuals / Jean Reith Schroedel -- Does the public support equal employment rights for gays and lesbians? / Gregory B. Lewis and Marc A. Rogers -- Gay and lesbian rights: emerging trends in public opinion and voting behavior / Steven H. Haeberle -- The effects of sexual orientation on citizen perceptions of candidate viability / Rebekah Herrick and Sue Thomas -- Group stereotypes and evaluations of individuals: the case of gay and lesbian political candidates / Ewa A. Golebiowska and Cynthia J. Thomsen -- Institutions matter: local electoral laws, gay and lesbian representation and coalition building across minority communities / Gary M. Segura -- Creating change-holding the line: agenda setting on lesbian and gay issues at the national level / Donald P. Haider-Markel -- The youth of the movement: gay activists in 1972-1973 / Kenneth Sherrill.