Political Behaviour/Sociology

F01(a) - LGBTQ+ Voices and Public Opinion / Perspectives LGBTQ+ et opinion publique

Date: Jun 3 | Time: 08:30am to 10:00am | Location: SJA-324A

Chair/Président/Présidente : Emmanuel Choquette (Université de Sherbrooke)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : Emmanuel Choquette (Université de Sherbrooke)

Pride and prejudice: An experimental design to assess the influence of sporting events on political attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community.: Noah Vanderhoeven (Western University)
Abstract: Sport fandom creates strong psychological connections, feelings of inclusion and provide boosts to self-esteem and social identity (Jacobson, 1979). Increasingly, men’s professional teams have been engaging in Pride events related to LGBTQ+ visibility and rights, yet little scholarly attention has been paid to these efforts. I hypothesize that those exposed to an LGBTQ+ treatment will have positive changes in their post-treatment evaluations of members of the LGBTQ+ community when compared to those who received the control. I also hypothesize that those exposed to the LGBTQ+ treatment will be more supportive of LGBTQ+ policy initiatives than those exposed to the control condition. Furthermore, I hypothesize that conservative participants who receive the LGBTQ+ treatment will be more likely to express disinterest in attending the treatment event and have negative changes in their attachment to their listed sport teams. This paper uses a survey experiment to evaluate these hypotheses using average treatment effects.

Accounting for the Decline in Support for LGBTQ2S+ Rights in Canada: Quinn Albaugh (Queen's University), Elizabeth Baisley (Queen's University), J. Scott Matthews (Memorial University)
Abstract: For the past three decades, scholars have focused on explaining increased support for LGBTQ2S+ rights. However, we are entering a new era: recent surveys show public opinion moving in the opposite direction in many countries, including Canada. What accounts for this decline in support for LGBTQ2S+ rights? Current theories, such as generational replacement—or the idea that public opinion will liberalize as younger, more tolerant people become adults and as older, less tolerant generations die—cannot explain increased opposition. We examine public opinion trends in Canada, an unlikely case for increased opposition. We use data from the Ipsos Pride Surveys (2013-2024) and the AmericasBarometer surveys (2010-2023). Our analysis will examine whether opposition is increasing (1) generally in the population, (2) among particular demographic groups, and/or (3) within parties as they polarize. This paper lays the groundwork for additional research on increasing opposition to LGBTQ2S+ rights.