VisibleQueers · Making the Queers Visible: Partisanship and Support among Sexual and Gender Minorities in Eastern and Western Europe

Although sexual and gender minorities, often collectively referred to as LGBTQ*, constitute at least 10 percent of Western societies – with increasing representation among younger age cohorts – the influence of sexual and gender identity on political behaviour remains underexplored. Only a few case studies on the US, Canada, and a few Western European states have empirically demonstrated the significance of LGBTQ* mobilisation for party competition. The absence of comprehensive cross-country data has limited broader insights into this phenomenon while fully ignoring Eastern European countries. Our understanding of how sexual and gender minorities develop a genuine political identity, political partisanship and system support remain limited and geographically biased. This project seeks to address the following research question:What explains the emergence of sexual and gender identity, and what impact does such an identity have on partisanship and political support in Eastern and Western Europe?VisibleQueers employs advanced qualitative and quantitative methods, including survey experiments. This project is groundbreaking, as it represents the first cross-country comparative study in Europe to examine the political behaviour of a numerically significant yet underrepresented group. The study will provide empirical evidence for the distinct social identity of LGBTQ* individuals and explore its impact on party competition and support for political systems. It offers a unique opportunity to understand the emergence of a mobilised LGBTQ* electorate across different countries, closing a critical gap in the literature. Its findings will have a profound impact on society by highlighting the importance of the perspectives of empirically overlooked individuals and bringing them out of quantified invisibility.