LGBTQ+ Politics and the U.S. Election

As candidates run on specifically trans antagonistic and generally anti-LGBTQ+ platforms, LGBTQ+ issues have come to be defining features of recent elections. From “Don’t Say Gay” bills eviscerating public libraries, to the prohibition of trans care leading to some states declaring themselves sanctuaries for trans people, the environment for LGBTQ+ people is rapidly changing. Political and legislative battles over LGBTQ+ rights and freedoms rage at all levels of government. About 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in the U.S. in 2024 alone, threatening the tentative successes achieved by queer political agitation.

This panel brings together Abbie Goldberg (Clark University, Psychology Department), Thomas Hayes (University of Connecticut, Political Science Department), and Scott LaCombe (Smith, Departments of Government and Statistics and Data Science) to address the current state of LGBTQ+ politics in the United States. Panelists will discuss the effects that anti-LGBTQ+ legislation have on queer people, the extent of bills addressing LGBTQ+ people, as well as the opposition to gay rights and the ensuing backlash to their protection.