Fears of group power, often anchored in conspiratorial thinking, form a common theme in public discussion of minority groups. This paper explores the role that fears of gay group power play in forming attitudes and policy preferences towards gay men and lesbians. The paper explores this topic...

For the past eight years opponents of same-sex marriage have turned to the ballot initiative to block same-sex marriage in the states. This paper examines the key demographic and political factors determining success of state constitutional same-sex marriage bans. Opponents of same-sex marriage...

In the aftermath of Proposition 8 - a California constitutional amendment that repealed the rights of gay and lesbian couples to marry - news articles and scholars alike vigorously debated the differences in support for the measure across racial and ethnic groups. In particular, there was...

The language of contamination and pollution has long been used to ostracize members of out-groups, and the situation of gay and lesbian individuals in the United States today is no exception. Scholars have argued that this form of body politics is extremely powerful because it draws on feeling...

Using Schneider and Ingram's social construction model, this paper evaluates the construction and presentation of gay marriage within the legal field. Starting with the first judicial opinion of gay marriage in Hawaii and concluding with the most recent California decision, the paper evaluates...