Is Sexuality a Source of Foreign Policy Preferences?

Homosexual (Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual) publics exhibit a distinct consensus in their foreign policy preferences and distinct political orientation along partisan and ideological lines. They are more liberal and democratic on their views on foreign aid and more conservative in the confidence they award the U.S. Military than other Americans with similar demographic characteristics. Using pooled data from the 1988 to 2002 General Social Survey of nearly 14,460 Americans, including 439 who identified themselves as engaging in either same sex or bisexual behavior, I find evidence that, same sex behavior strongly influences these individuals to take liberal positions on foreign policy issues. Survey researchers and political scientists are missing an important dimension of the sources of public attitudes on foreign policy by not making a more consistent and substantial effort to gather data on sexual behavior and sexual orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]