Show Summary Details

Page of

Printed from Oxford Research Encyclopedias, Politics. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a single article for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 17 February 2025

The Special Role of Religion in LGBT-Related Attitudeslocked

The Special Role of Religion in LGBT-Related Attitudeslocked

  • Abigail VegterAbigail VegterDepartment of Political Science, University of Kansas
  • , and Donald P. Haider-MarkelDonald P. Haider-MarkelDepartment of Political Science, University of Kansas

Summary

Religious tradition and religiosity affect attitudes toward LGBT people, their rights, and their position within religious communities. There is significant variability within the American context concerning how religious traditions approach issues related to sexuality and gender identity, with monotheistic religions holding more conservative positions. These positions and the elites who hold them often influence the attitudes of their congregants, but not always, as some congregations diverge from the official positions of their denominations in terms of attitudes toward LGBT rights, religious leadership, and congregational membership. As the religious landscape is consistently changing in terms of attitudes toward sexual minorities, understanding the special role of religion in LGBT-related attitudes remains important and an area ripe for future scholarship.

Subjects

  • Groups and Identities
  • Policy, Administration, and Bureaucracy
  • Political Behavior
  • Political Psychology
  • Political Sociology
  • Public Opinion

You do not currently have access to this article

Login

Please login to access the full content.

Subscribe

Access to the full content requires a subscription