What Needed to Be Addressed:
According to our past Project LPAC Research, younger LGBTQ women regularly take civic actions like attending marches, expressing opinions about events on social media, and contacting their elected representatives. They are deeply engaged around issues like LGBTQ rights, reproductive health, climate change, and addressing racism. Despite their enthusiasm around taking these actions and engaging with important issues, they are less likely than older LGBTQ women to say that they will vote in elections.
Younger people are increasingly becoming an important voting demographic – Gen Z and Millennials will be the largest voting bloc in 2028 – however, no research had been done to develop a comprehensive understanding of the motivations of LGBTQ women between the ages of 18-35.
National Survey:
To better understand what moves younger LGBTQ women, Project LPAC fielded a national survey with Lake Research Partners to examine the ways to engage under-targeted LGBTQ youth for community participation. Based on prior Project LPAC surveys, this was a major opportunity to look at how democracy connects to their interests.
This research aimed to understand this community as a whole. Survey respondents were not limited to registered voters. The survey was 13 minutes long.
Key findings from this project are below. You can view a comprehensive research deck here.
Key Research Findings Among LGBTQ Women:
Key Research Findings Comparing LGBTQ Women to Other Young Adults:
Women – LGBTQ women in particular – are underrepresented at the highest levels of government. There are currently four LGBTQ women in Congress. While this is a record, it’s still less than 1 percent of all federal legislators, well below proportional representation. The situation is even worse in the other branches of government: an openly LGBTQ woman has never served in the Cabinet or on the Supreme Court.
In recent years there has not been comprehensive research specifically exploring LGBTQ women as a political community. Given their lack of representation in government, it is especially important to understand this community’s connection to electoral politics to help policymakers, candidates, and organizations which aim to represent and advocate for women and other marginalized communities do so more thoroughly and inclusively.
Project LPAC | All Rights Reserved |
Created by Olive + Ash. Managed by Olive Street Design.