Anti-Queer Policy as it Translates to Violence Against the LGBT Community

Author

Kendall Bush, University of New Hampshire, DurhamFollow

Date of Award

Spring 2023

Project Type

Senior Honors Thesis

College or School

COLA

Department

Sociology

Program or Major

Political Science; Justice Studies

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

First Advisor

Nena Stracuzzi

Abstract

In recent years, the amount of anti-LGBT policy introduced is rapidly increasing (ACLU, 2023). Contemporary policy focuses mainly on queer youth and gender identity, attacking gender-affirming health care and limiting LGBT discussions in public schools. Although these policies are particularly insidious, they follow a trend of queer persecution in the United States. Within federal policy and across state legislation, the panopticon of anti-LGBT policy ensures that queer bodies are policed and monitored. This paper posits that the increase in anti-queer policy translates to an increase in experiences of external and indirect violence. Based on findings from the UCR and various victimization surveys including the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey and National Crime Victimization Survey, this paper demonstrates that increases in anti-queer policy correlate with increased violence experienced. This violence includes interpersonal violence, such as hate crimes, as well as self-inflicted violence. Research in this area is critical, as proposed anti-LGBT policy is continually rising. It stigmatizes an already marginalized community, demarcating them from broader society as dangerous and deserving of exclusion and condemnation.

Recommended Citation

Bush, Kendall, "Anti-Queer Policy as it Translates to Violence Against the LGBT Community" (2023). Honors Theses and Capstones. 780.
https://scholars.unh.edu/honors/780