Sexuality and the City(?): The Geography of LGBT + Political Participation in the United States

Urban politics scholars underscore the importance of urban areas as hubs of political activism, particularly for marginalized groups such as LGBT + individuals. However, there is a lack of quantitative research on the relationship between urbanicity and LGBT + political participation. Using data from the Cooperative Election Study (CES), I test the effects of LGBT + identity and urbanicity on political participation. Consistent with prior research, my findings reveal that LGBT + individuals exhibit higher levels of participation compared to cis/straight individuals in various political activities. Urbanicity also has a varying but sometimes significant influence on participation, particularly on collective forms of political activity such as protest attendance. However, the interaction between LGBT + identity and urbanicity does not amplify participation as strongly as previously theorized. My results challenge prior assumptions that urban environments uniquely enhance LGBT + activism and suggest that the primary driver of political engagement among LGBT + individuals is their identity itself, rather than geographic context.