LGBT Voters and Obama
Tuesday may feel like light years away at this point, but many of us are still reeling from the election – in a good way. The Williams Institute has been studying the outcome for the past few days, and determined that LGBT voters had a lot to do with the president’s re-election.
“In this close election, data suggest that the overwhelming LGBT support for President Obama constitutes a key factor in his victory,” said the institute’s Gary J. Gates. Analysis of Tuesday’s LGBT vote in favor of President Obama adds another dimension to an election where voters for the first time rejected referendums banning marriage for same-sex couples (You go, Maryland!), the first openly-LGBT senator was elected (Can we get an amen for Tammy Baldwin?) and a record number of openly LGBT members will serve as legislators (Hello, Brian Sims!).
And in a contest of razor-thin margins, the 4.5 million votes cast by the LGBT population was a critical component of the president’s winning coalition, says the institute. Here’s how:
