title: Legislators' positions on gay and lesbian rights: the personal and political.
abstract: This article examines state legislators' public position on gay and lesbian rights by using responses to survey data on their positions toward civil unions and inclusion of sexual orientation in anti-job discrimination laws. The research finds that although state legislators are mixed on their positions, they are less supportive of gay and lesbian rights than is the general public. It also finds that their public positions are a product of both their personal beliefs and values as well as their political calculations. The implications of these findings are explored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Political Science, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. rebekah.herrick@okstate.edu
authors.forename: Rebekah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Herrick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D007878:Legislation as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011057:Politics; D011640:Public Policy; D013219:State Government; D055815:Young Adult