Current Research

Consciousness & Identity: How LGBT People from Diverse Backgrounds Politically Unite with Ken Sherrill

• LGBT people hold distinctive and unified political attitudes. Why? LGBT people are born into diverse households, spanning a diverse racial, ethnic, gendered, and economic background. The canon of political behavior research suggests that people learn their political allegiances and behaviors in their early socialization years -- long before they learn of their sexual orientation and possibly their gender identity. We propose that linked fate -- the internalization of one's own lot in life as connected to the social, economic, and political plight of a social group -- as central to this distinctiveness. Our book documents how linked fate exists among LGBT people, and we describe its effects on political participation, political priorities, and political choice.

Mass Communication & Public Opinion on LGBT Rights

• Radio advertisements & Latino acceptance of lesbians and gay men
• Televised advertisements & public opinion on marriage equality
• Televised advertisements & psychological effects on LGBT people with Mark L. Hatzenbeuhler & Gary J. Gates

Measuring Race & Ethnicity with Danielle Lemi

• Does the way scholars measure race & ethnicity alter what we learn about the politics of communities of color?

Descriptive LGB Representation & Rights Discourses with Charles Gossett

Descriptive representatives should change the deliberative function of representation. So, how do LGB representatives alter the tone of debates on LGBT rights? Our project systematically investigates the difference a gay makes in the lawmaking process.

Public Opinion on Transgender Rights with Daniel C. Lewis, Donald P. Haider-Markel, Patrick R. Miller, Barry L. Tadlock, &Jami K. Taylor

• Keep looking out for research brought about by "team Kansas", an amazing group of productive scholars who care about investigating this subject.