Voting to Ban Same-Sex Marriage: Interests, Values, and Communities

Abstract

From 2000 through 2008, initiatives proposing to ban same-sex marriage were on the ballot in 28 states. Although same-sex marriage opponents scored lopsided victories in most cases, voting outcomes varied substantially at the county level. This article examines sources of that variation and argues that opposition to same-sex marriage should be strong in communities characterized by the predominance of traditional gender roles and family structure. Perhaps more interestingly, the analysis also shows that the effects of traditional family structure and gender roles are especially strong in counties characterized by weak community cohesion, as indicated by residential instability, low rates of home ownership, and high crime rates.

Framing same-sex marriage: Media constructions of California's Proposition 8

“…This enhanced attention may be due to several factors. A similar bill passed in California banning same-sex marriage in 2000 (McVeigh & Diaz, 2009). The California Supreme Court later issued a decision in May 2008 declaring that the state's constitution safeguarded the right of same-sex couples to marry, voiding the 2000 legislation.…”

Morality Politics and Municipal LGBT Policy Adoption

“…Much research has focused on state support and adoption of LGBT antidiscrimination policy; however, there have been fewer studies which examine local adoption of such policies (for state-level studies, see Taylor et al 2012;Lax and Phillips 2009;McVeigh and Diaz 2009;Barth, Overby, and Huffmon 2009;Werum and Winders 2001;Haider-Markel and Meier 1996). Of the studies that examine local adoption of LGB antidiscrimination policies, the common conclusion considers local population size the most important factor in determining policy adoption.…”

Left Behind By the Alter: Why Queers and Sociologists Need Materialist Feminism

“…A quick review of the sociological literature reveals discussions on attitudes towards same-sex marriage (Baunach 2012), research on gay marriage bans (McVeigh andDiaz 2009, Soule 2004), the intersection of religion and (opposition to) gay marriage (Langbein andYost 2009, Sherkat et. al 2010), and the symbolism of same-sex weddings (Kimport 2013).…”