New Study Shows Attacks On LGBTQ+ Associated With Democratic Backsliding

A new study from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law has found that countries with high levels of LGBTQ+ acceptance also have high levels of liberal democracy.

They also have a higher per capita GDP and more urban populations.

Using data from the LGBTI Global Acceptance Index and the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute, researchers from the Williams Institute examined the relationship between democratic backsliding and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people. The report highlights four countries—Indonesia, Brazil, Poland, and Ghana—to describe the complex dynamics between anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policies and the rise of authoritarianism, according to ‘Illinois Eagle’.

The results showed that attacks on LGBTQ+ people were strongly associated with democratic backsliding. In fact, it can sometimes be a sign of a democratic decline.

“Anti-LGBTI rhetoric and policies can signal a more fundamental erosion in democratic norms and institutions,” said study author Ari Shaw, senior fellow and director of international programs at the Williams Institute. “Efforts to marginalize LGBTI people are, on their face, evidence that democracy and respect for minority rights are under threat.”

In particular, the institute reported, restrictions on the freedom of association and expression can affect LGBTQ+ acceptance since they are basic parts of organising and advocacy.

“The links between democracy indicators and LGBTI acceptance are clear but complex,” said study author Andrew R. Flores, a visiting scholar at the institute. “Future research should examine how state-sanctioned attacks on LGBTI people influence democratic backsliding and how democratic backsliding diminishes acceptance of LGBTI people and their rights.”

Read the full report here.

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