A qualitative exploration of the impact of the marriage equality debate on same‐sex attracted Australians and their allies

Correlates of Attitudes Toward Bisexuality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This paper presents a systematic review of factors that correlate with attitudes toward bisexuals, and a meta-analysis to estimate the effect size of these relationships. A search strategy was designed to identify studies that had a measure of attitudes toward bisexuals and assessed the relationship between these attitudes and at least one attitude-relevant correlate. The strategy was then applied to PsycINFO, PsycEXTRA, Proquest Psychology Collection, EBSCO Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection and SociINDEX databases, and calls for unpublished data were circulated through relevant professional bodies. Effect size data were extracted from the articles, and meta-analyses were conducted on each of the applicable correlates. The meta-analyses revealed that age, contact (quality and quantity), income, political orientation, religion, sexual orientation, education, ethnicity, gender, and population density were related to negative attitudes toward bisexual individuals (Fisher's Zs = 0.108, -0.418, -0.209, 0.221, 0.231, 0.346, & 0.831, and Hedges' g's = 0.365, 0.344, 0.278, & 0.193, respectively). In addition, a sub-group moderation analysis revealed these effect sizes for participant gender differed as a function of target gender (i.e., bisexual men vs. bisexual women).

"A Tremendous Outpouring of Love and Affection": A Template Analysis of Positive Experiences During a Major LGBTQ Rights Campaign

Human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) people have frequently been decided via popular vote. Australia conducted one such vote on the topic of marriage equality in 2017. Research has tended to focus on the negative experiences reported by LGBTQ people during such votes, with little attention paid to any positive experiences identified. This paper seeks to redress that imbalance, reporting the findings of two qualitative studies asking LGBTQ Australians about positive experiences during the marriage equality vote. The first study analyzed 673 typed responses collected during the two-month voting period, while the second analyzed interview data from 19 LGBTQ Australians collected two-and-a-half years after the vote. Both were analyzed using template analysis. Results identified sources of support, types of support, empowerment through activism, changes in general and LGBTQ communities, and positive personal changes. As public votes continue to be used to determine LGBTQ human rights, the findings may guide interventions to help LGBTQ people and their allies cope with such campaigns.

"Things Will Get Worse Before They Get Better": LGBTQ + People's Reactions to the 2020 US Presidential Election

Introduction

Previous research has found that political discourse over proposed legislation that impacts lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ +) people serves as a distal stressor which is associated with poorer mental and physical health. This study sought to document responses to the 2020 US Presidential election among LGBTQ + people living in the USA.

Methods

Nineteen LGBTQ + people ages 20 to 76 (M = 47.20; SD = 17.66) living across the USA were interviewed via Zoom video conferencing software between October and early December 2020. The modal participant was female (36.8%), identified as gay or lesbian (47.3%), and White (84.2%). Interviews were coded using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith & Osborn, 2003).

Results

Seventeen codes emerged, which were grouped into three themes. Participants viewed specific political figures, namely then-President Trump and Supreme Court nominee Coney-Barrett, as symbolic of the potential loss of rights and disenfranchisement of LGBTQ + people. Participants exhibited uncertainty about the future; however, a Biden presidential win was viewed as potentially instilling complacency and leading to fracturing of the LGBTQ + community. While some participants avoided news, most were engaged with the political process as a means of coping with election uncertainty.

Conclusions

The findings have implications for better understanding the concerns of LGBTQ + folks as it relates to how they view political discourse and the future of the equality movement.

Policy Implications

Policies which beneficially impact and engage a diverse range of LGBTQ + people would facilitate mobilization of LGBTQ + political communities.