Christian Nationalism & Queer Politics: Predicting Support for LGBT Candidates

• In Event: Opposition in Action

Abstract

Christian nationalism, or the belief that governmental power and authority should be used to establish a Christian nation, is associated with authoritarianism and, more than Evangelicalism, predicts ideological conservatism as well as opposition to public policies beneficial to racial and ethnic minorities, LGBT people, and women. In the U.S., Christian nationalism is constructed through whiteness, androcentrism, and strict gender essentialism. Yet few studies examine what, if any, relationship exists between Christian nationalist orientations and individual-level measures of gender identity. Using a random sample of California adults and mediation analysis, I examine the relationship between Christian nationalism, gender non-conformity, and support for LGBT political candidates. I anticipate gender non-conformity mediates the negative relationship between Christian nationalism and support for LGBT candidates.

Author

• Royal Gene Cravens, California Polytechnic State University