How Homophobic is my State?

I've been working on developing measures of heteronormativity for decades. Typically, I end up using legislation / policy because these measures are 1) tightly related to the concept of structural heteronormativity (homophobia at the societal, not individual, level), 2) easy to explain to others, 3) perhaps more importantly, legislation points to a direct method for redressing heteronormativity.

Another approach is to look at public opinion. In some ways, this is a more direct measure of public sentiment about QTBLG people, but it is often difficult to get access to data that is based on a large enough group of people, reported in sufficient detail to make state-level estimates, and uses consistent methodology across enough surveys to make decent state-level estimates.

Here, I present data from the AmericasBarometer that allows state-level estimates of some decent questions for the United States (and many other countries in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean).

In order to generate these estimates, I combined data collected in multiple waves (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 & 2016). There is definitely a time trend towards greater acceptance over this time period, but just to simplify things, I'm ignoring that for now. I have also suppressed estimates for any state based on fewer than 20 respondents (across all 6 waves combined), which means I can't rank Alaska, North Dakota, or Wyoming.

Below are (weighted, but otherwise unadjusted) estimates for three questions asked in the AmericasBarometer survey. As you can see, there is very wide variability across the states, and a decent correlation between the results of the different questions.

D5: And now on a different topic, thinking about homosexuals, how strongly do you approve or disapprove of such people being permitted to run for public office?

¿Con qué firmeza aprueba o desaprueba que los homosexuales puedan postularse para cargos públicos?

Scaled 1-10, with 1=strongly disapprove, 10=strongly approve (asked in all waves)

States ranked by mean score, from least homophobic to most homophobic:

D6: How strongly do you approve or disapprove of same-sex couples having the right to marry?

¿Con qué firmeza aprueba o desaprueba que las parejas del mismo sexo puedan tener el derecho a casarse?

Scaled 1-10, with 1=strongly disapprove, 10=strongly approve (asked in 2010, 2012, 2014 & 2016)

(Data suppressed for District of Columbia, Hawai'i, Idaho, Montana, Rhode Island & Vermont)

 

DIS35a: Now you are going to read a list of several groups of people. Can you check off any groups that you would not want to have as neighbors? Gays. Would you mind having them as neighbors?

Vamos a mostrarle una lista de varios grupos de personas. ¿Podría decirme si hay algunos de ellos que no le gustaría tener como vecinos? Homosexuales. ¿No los quisiera tener de vecinos?

Yes=1, No=0 (asked only in 2012)