The “gay agenda:” How the myth of gay affluence impedes the progress toward equality

Abstract Despite the fact that gay men and lesbian women face significant economic disparities compared to their heterosexual counterparts, people appear to believe that the opposite is true, a phenomenon which has been dubbed the “myth of gay affluence.” In the current research ( N tot = 2,162), we address the consequences of this belief. Specifically, we hypothesize and find that believing that gay men and lesbian women are financially well off—either chronically (Study 1) or because of an experimental manipulation (Studies 2–3)—leads participants to deny discrimination against gay men and lesbian women, above and beyond anti‐gay attitudes, and this is mediated by the belief that there is a “gay agenda” that is backed by powerful lobbyists. Thus, perpetuating this myth—either intentionally or inadvertently—could have deleterious effects on efforts for social change and the promotion of rights for sexual minorities.