LGBTQ Life in America

Melissa R. Michelson, PhD, is dean of arts and sciences and professor of political science at Menlo College, USA, and past president of the LGBT Caucus of the American Political Science Association.Brian F. Harrison, PhD, is Founder and Executive Director, Center for American Political Engagement.

• How to Use This BookIntroduction1. The Origins of LGBTQ IdentityQ1: How are sexual behavior, sexual orientation, and gender identity related to each other? Q2: Is it true that there are LGBTQ animals in the wild?Q3: Is being LGBTQ a choice?Q4: Does LGBTQ identity exist outside of Western societies such as those in North America and developed European countries?Q5: Have there always been LGBTQ people?Q6: Has the idea that LGBTQ orientations stem from childhood sexual trauma been debunked by researchers?Q7: Is the word "queer" a slur against the LGBTQ community?2. LGBTQ Political and Legal Treatment Over Time Q8: Did the gay rights movement begin at Stonewall in 1969? Q9: Is it true that some of the strongest opponents of LGBTQ rights are actually closeted gay people?Q10: Do laws protecting LGBTQ people affect the freedom of religious Americans who oppose LGBTQ people on religious grounds?Q11: Does giving rights to LGBTQ people lead to the legalization of practices like pedophilia, bestiality, and necrophilia?Q12: Have hate crimes against LGBTQ people in the United States increased over time?Q13: Do LGBTQ people still suffer from legal discrimination?3. Public Visibility of LGBTQ people Q14: Has the public become more supportive of same-sex relationships and marriages?Q15: Has the public become more supportive of same-sex people being parents?Q16: Are major religions in the United States more supportive of LGBTQ people than they used to be?Q17: Are more people coming out as LGBTQ? Q18: Are there more openly-LGBTQ elected officials than there used to be?Q19: Are there more LGBTQ people on TV and in movies than there used to be?4. Gender Identity, Performance, and DynamicsQ20: Do gay relationships have the same dynamics that straight relationships do?Q21: Do lesbians and straight women harbor different views and attitudes toward men?Q22: Do gay men hate women, especially lesbians?Q23: Are bisexual people just confused gay (or straight) people who can't make up their mind?Q24: Are gay men less masculine than straight men?Q25: Are lesbians less feminine than straight women?Q26: Why are LGB people (people with non-heterosexual sexual orientations) grouped together with T people (non-cisgender gender identities) into one LGBTQ community?Q27: Are men who enjoy cross-dressing or drag transgender?5. Transgender and Non-Binary IdentityQ28: Is it true that gender is not binary?Q29: Do medical and psychological authorities regard transgender or non-binary gender identity as a mental illness?Q30: Can children really know that they are transgender from an early age?Q31: Do all transgender and non-binary people feel the need to change the way their body looks through surgery?Q32: Are more Americans using nonbinary pronouns?Q33: Is a transgender identity related to sexual orientation, in that transgender men are former lesbians and transgender women are former gay men?Q34: Is there tension between the feminist movement and people who identify as transgender and/or non-binary?6. Behaviors and Outcomes associated with LGBTQ PeopleQ35: Do LGBTQ people contract HIV/AIDS at different rates than straight people?Q36: Are LGBTQ people more prone to mental illness than straight people?Q37: Can conversion therapy actually change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity?Q38: Do LGBTQ people abuse drugs and alcohol at different rates than straight people?Q39: Do straight people and LGBTQ people have different life expectancies?Q40: Are LGBTQ youth more likely to be homeless?Q41: Is bullying of LGBTQ kids for their sexual orientation becoming less common?Q42: Are children of LGBTQ parents worse off than children of straight parents?7. Diversity Within the LGBTQ community Q43: Do LGBTQ people tend to be of a certain race, gender, or age?Q44: Do LGBTQ people tend to live in particular geographic regions?Q45: Do LGBTQ people tend to be from a particular socioeconomic background?Q46: Are LGBTQ people more sexually active than straight people?Q47: Is there such a thing as a "gay lifestyle?"Q48: Do LGBTQ and straight people display distinct differences in their physical appearance, behavior, or speech?Q49: Have LGBTQ people made positive impacts on American life and culture?

Accurately describes the diversity, challenges, and needs of LGBTQ Americans while at the same time dispelling false, misleading, and long-held misperceptions in an unbiased, fact-based, and engaging style.