Political Identity, Leftism, and Guns Among a National Sample of LGBTQ+ Americans

Authors

  • Savannah G. Lynn
    Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center at the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychology, Baruch College, New York, NY, USA
  • Christopher Stults
    Department of Psychology, Baruch College, New York, NY, USA
  • Elizabeth Collins
    Department of Psychology, Baruch College, New York, NY, USA
  • Jae Eun Kwak
    Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
  • Caleb Nichols
    Department of Psychology, Baruch College, New York, NY, USA
  • Olivia Gore
    Center for the Study of Political Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
  • Kristen Krause
    Department of Urban-Global Public Health, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

Abstract

Beliefs about and ownership of guns have long been politicized in the United States. Although research is well-established regarding the Democrat/Republican divide on gun control in the general population, empirical work on LGBTQ+ populations and taking into account Americans with Leftist politics is lacking. A national sample of LGBTQ+ Americans (n = 1,170) completed the Gun Violence in the Context of Interpersonal Violence Experiences Among Sexual and Gender Minorities (GIVES) study. These studies examine gun ownership, behavior, and beliefs in the context of self-identified political identity. A substantial minority (n = 207; 17.7%) self-identified with Leftist politics via a write-in option on the survey, and therefore a new category of the political identity variable was created. Study 1 found that political identity is significantly associated with gun ownership, carry/display of guns, and all measures given regarding beliefs about guns and perceptions of safety due to hate-motivated mass violence. Post hoc testing revealed that although Democrats and Republicans were most sharply divided, there were also key differences across variables in how Leftists and Independents responded. Study 2 investigated the Leftist subgroup more closely, finding that among Leftist identities endorsed, there are significant differences in ownership, beliefs about gun control, beliefs that guns make one safer, and social presence of guns. Further research should aim to explore the relationship between LGBTQ+ identity and Leftist politics, and how Americans who self-identify with Leftist politics may differ in beliefs and behaviors regarding firearms.