Elections and the Role of LGBT Issues in the United States and Abroad

LGBT issues have played an important role in elections. They have been the focus of direct democracy, that is referenda and ballot initiatives in which citizens voted on LGBT rights. The issues considered evolved over time from nondiscrimination ordinances in the 1970s to same-sex marriage bans in the 2000s and transgender rights in the 2010s. Religiosity, partisanship, and ideology generally predicted electoral outcomes. While supporters of LGBT rights have often been defeated at the ballot box, the tide started to change in the 2010s. Beyond direct democracy, LGBT issues have played a role in general elections. The religious right exploited them to mobilize the conservative electorate or to persuade voters to reconsider their party loyalties. The 2004 US presidential election, when same-sex marriage bans were on the ballot in several states, offers an important case study. LGBT actors are also important in elections. LGB voters have generally been more progressive and more supportive of the Democratic Party than the general population. Additionally, the number of openly LGBT candidates has significantly grown over time. In the early years, gays and lesbians running for office faced an electoral penalty but made up for their disadvantage by strategically competing in more favorable districts. By the late 2010s, however, large subsets of the electorate, including Democrats, progressives, nonreligious voters, and people with LGBT friends no longer penalized gay and lesbian candidates. The penalty remained stronger for transgender candidates. LGBT issues have also been important outside the United States, as shown by same-sex marriage referenda in Europe and beyond and by the increasing success of lesbian and gay candidates in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Future research should explore issues concerning minorities in the LGBT community, the shifting position of right-wing parties on LGBT rights, and the role of LGBT issues and candidates in elections outside the Western world.

本研究探讨了LGBT议题在美国选举中的重要性，包括直接民主形式（如公投和公民投票）以及大选中的作用。议题从1970年代的反歧视条例，发展到2000年代的同性婚姻禁令，再到2010年代的跨性别权利。

本研究采用文献综述和历史案例分析的方法，梳理了LGBT议题在选举中的演变及其影响。研究通过分析不同时期的选举数据、公投结果以及候选人参选情况，探讨了宗教性、党派立场和意识形态对选举结果的影响。研究还结合具体案例（如2004年美国总统选举中多个州的同性婚姻禁令公投）以及LGBT选民和候选人的选举表现，揭示了LGBT议题在直接民主和大选中的作用。此外，研究通过比较不同国家和地区的选举数据（如欧洲和新西兰的同性婚姻公投及LGBT候选人的成功案例），扩展了对LGBT议题在全球范围内影响的讨论。未来研究建议进一步结合定量和定性方法，深入探讨LGBT社区中的少数群体、右翼政党立场转变以及非西方国家的选举动态。

研究发现，LGBT议题研究自20世纪末和21世纪初以来取得了显著进展，重点关注直接民主对LGBT权利的影响、选举中的LGBT议题、LGB选民的偏好以及LGBT候选人的影响。然而，许多问题仍未得到充分研究。例如，关于LGBT社区中少数群体（如跨性别者和有色人种LGBT群体）的选举议题研究仍然有限，未来研究应更多关注基于性别身份的反歧视倡议以及这些候选人在选举中面临的独特障碍。此外，LGBT候选人的受欢迎程度逐渐上升，如2019年公开同性恋身份的Pete Buttigieg成为民主党总统提名的重要竞争者，以及黑人女同性恋者Lori Lightfoot当选芝加哥市长。这引发了一系列新问题，例如性少数候选人如何在竞选活动中讨论其性取向和性别身份，以及选民支持或反对这些候选人的原因。研究还发现，许多国家的保守党派已开始接纳LGBT权利和候选人，但美国共和党在这一方面仍显例外。未来研究应探讨为何欧洲及其他地区的右翼政党立场发生显著转变，而美国却未出现类似变化，以及LGBT官员和公众态度的积极转变对右翼政党立场的影响。最后，研究指出，现有文献主要集中在西方国家，未来应更多关注拉丁美洲、亚洲和非洲等非西方国家的LGBT议题和候选人，尤其是在全球仍有69个国家将同性行为定为犯罪的背景下，这些地区的研究尤为重要。