(iPoster) Sexual Minorities' Attitudes toward Immigrants in Europe

• In Event: Poster Sessions: Polarization, Identity, and Democratic Vulnerability & Political Communication I
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Polarization, Identity, and Democratic Vulnerability

Abstract

Why do some minority groups support other minority groups? Conventional wisdom regarding the relationships between different marginalized groups suggests that sympathy is a key factor connecting them. This sympathy often stems from individuals projecting their own experiences onto others. However, a limitation of the existing literature on this sympathy theory is its reliance on survey experiments. To broaden the applicability of these findings, this paper utilizes the European Social Survey (ESS) dataset, which is a comprehensive survey resource. By employing logistic regression models from both Frequentist and Bayesian perspectives, the study found that individuals who identify as members of sexual minorities and believe they have experienced discrimination based on their sexual identity tend to have more positive attitudes toward immigrants. In contrast, those who do not identify as sexual minorities and do not feel they have faced discrimination demonstrate less support for immigrants. These results are consistent with the existing literature supporting sympathy theory.

Author

• Jain Choi, University of Florida