%0 Journal Article
%T ¡°Gay¡± or ¡°Homosexual¡±? The Implications of Social Category Labels for the Structure of Mass Attitudes
%A Brianna A. Smith
%A Marissa Theys
%A Matthew Motta
%A Timothy H. Callaghan
%A Zein Murib
%J American Politics Research
%@ 1552-3373
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/1532673X17706560
%X Multiple identity and identification terms are used in social science research on sexuality, including clinical terms such as ¡°homosexual¡± and ¡°heterosexual¡± and more colloquial terms such as ¡°gay¡± and ¡°straight.¡± In this article, we show that far from being synonyms, these terms have consequences for attitudes about gay and lesbian rights. We begin by providing a historical overview of the terms ¡°homosexual¡± and ¡°gay and lesbian,¡± showing the different connotations that social groups have come to associate with these terms. We then analyze a split-ballot experiment embedded in the 2012 American National Election Study (ANES) and show that group identity and authoritarianism shape attitudes toward ¡°homosexual¡± rights differently than ¡°gay and lesbian¡± rights
%K authoritarianism
%K public opinion
%K LGBT politics
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1532673X17706560