Study Finds Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals Display Higher Levels of Civic Interest

By James Devitt

Lesbians, gays, and bisexuals (LGBs) report higher levels of civic engagement and a greater interest in politics than does the American population overall, according to a survey released in late April by the New York City-based Hunter College Poll.

      “Until now, survey data did not exist that allowed us to answer in-depth questions about LGB civic engagement and political participation,” said Patrick Egan, an assistant professor in NYU’s Department of Politics and the lead author of the report analyzing the findings. “Very few surveys on politics and public affairs—whether commercial or academic—include questions that permit lesbians, gays, and bisexuals to identify themselves. And the handful of general population surveys that include an LGB identifier rarely include other questionnaire items that allow for the full examination of the questions explored in the Hunter College Poll.”

      The poll found that nearly 33 percent of LGBs are “very interested” in politics and public affairs, compared to 22 percent of the general population. In addition, 23 percent of LGBs report contacting a government official in the past year, compared to 15.5 percent of the overall American population. Fifteen percent of LGBs say they’ve worked with others in their communities to solve a problem, compared to 11.7 percent of all Americans.

      The study was supported by a grant from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The other authors were Murray Edelman, a distinguished scholar in residence at Rutgers University who previously oversaw exit polling for Voter News Service, and Kenneth Sherrill, a professor of political science at the City University of New York’s Hunter College.

      The survey also found that significant numbers of LGBs are unfamiliar with basic facts about their rights. For instance, only six in 10 LGBs know that no national law exists making it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. In addition, the youngest generation of LGBs cares most about legalizing same-sex marriage and winning parental and adoption rights, while the oldest generation considers these goals much lower priorities. 

      Complete survey results and methodology may be found at: www. nyu.edu/public.affairs/pdf/hunter_college_ poll_report_complete.pdf.