Equality & Democracy
A Shared Fight: Protecting Democracy Means Protecting LGBTQ+ Rights
Pride Month is coming to a close, and recent reports have shown that many celebrations have been met with severe backlash, including hateful rhetoric and violence, in 2024. This vitriol follows another record-setting year in anti-LGBTQ legislation introduced in statehouses across the country.
At the same time, attacks on the cornerstone of our democracy persist with a range of restrictions on the right to vote, barriers limiting people’s ability to elect leaders that represent their values, and numerous efforts to disenfranchise younger voters and voters of color.
According to MAP’s policy analysis and bill tracking, many states have shifted significantly in terms of having laws that protect both our democracy and the basic rights of LGBTQ+ people. When comparing state rankings from the Equality Maps and Democracy Maps — it’s clear that LGBTQ issues and the health of our democracy are connected, and on both fronts, the nation has become increasingly polarized in recent years.
Key Takeaways Comparing LGBTQ Equality and Democracy Tally Scores Across the Country:
#1: Polarization in state-level policies — in both issue areas — has increased.
Above, the timelapse scatterplot illustrates how the gap in state policy scores has widened since 2022 in both of our mapping projects. This increased polarization is reflected in two quadrants — one in the upper right (i.e., states with higher scores) and one in the lower left (states with lower scores) for voting and election policies as well as LGBTQ+ protections — and how that gap has widened over time.
This separating of states is no coincidence; in fact, it highlights the fact that support for LGBTQ+ people is directly connected to a thriving and healthy democratic system — and states with laws protecting the former tend to also protect the latter.
#2: More states have negative LGBTQ policy scores than before.
Compared to 2022, there are many more states with negative rankings according to our LGBTQ Equality tally. Two years ago, 9 states scored below zero, and now, 15 states are in this category, as outlined below.
#3: There has been notable progress in some state scores, but others are backsliding.
MAP’s tracking also sheds light on individual changes in state policy scores. Since 2022:
- Michigan improved considerably on both of our maps. The state made the most progress on Democracy Maps scores, with a +7 increase in its tally, and it also tied for having the second-highest increase in its LGBTQ score, with an increase of 4.5 points.
- Missouri had the most backsliding on Democracy policies, dropping 4 points in its tally.
- Maryland made the most progress in MAP’s LGBTQ policy ranking, with an increase of 9 points.
- Alaska had the most backsliding in a state’s LGBTQ score (-10.75 points). Following closely behind, Idaho experienced a decrease of 10 points.
#4: Pending developments in outliers states could contribute to increased polarization.
In the current view of our policy scatterplot, several states appear as outliers in 2024 (pictured below), and given ongoing litigation and forthcoming policy decisions, they have the potential to widen the gap between high-scoring and low-scoring states.
Comparing MAP’s LGBTQ and Democracy Tallies: June 2024
- New Hampshire has the biggest raw score difference of any kind between its LGBTQ (31.5 points) and Democracy tally (8 points). This 23.5-point gap would close slightly if the state’s governor signs pending anti-LGBTQ bills on his desk, as described below.
New Hampshire has long had a high LGBTQ policy score, but recent backsliding in attitudes, paired with several anti-LGBTQ bills awaiting the governor’s decision, may make New Hampshire the first New England state to pass a number of anti-transgender provisions. If that happens, New Hampshire’s score would decline and move towards the lower grouping of states with more hostile anti-LGBTQ policies.
- Delaware also appears as an outlier in MAP’s 2024 rankings. Currently, there is a difference of 14 points between Delaware’s Democracy ranking (15 points overall) and LGBTQ policy score (29 points).
Delaware has recently passed pro-voting laws — for example, no-excuse absentee voting — however, recent litigation prompted by conservatives struck down this law, and an appeal is currently pending. If this decision were reversed, Delaware’s ranking would improve and move towards the chart’s upper-right clustering of states.
Our mapping projects serve as real-time resources illustrating the landscape of equality and democracy across the states. As this analysis shows, both sets of state rankings highlight stark, longitudinal changes in policies and legislation in recent years. MAP’s findings offer a very clear message for the states: to make concrete steps towards a more inclusive America, we must maintain a strong democracy.
As we commemorate the conclusion of Pride Month — a season of celebration, protest, and the fight to be included in the fabric of American society — we recognize the interconnectedness of basic rights and access to the ballot. Without free and fair elections, too many people, including LGBTQ+ voters, are disenfranchised, face substantial barriers to voting, and live in gerrymandered states where they cannot effectively elect lawmakers who reflect their values on equality and many other issues.
▸▸ Learn more
- View the Equality Maps here.
- View the Democracy Maps here.
- Learn more about Michigan’s progress on LGBTQ and democracy issue areas via our Equality Profile and Democracy Profile for Michigan.
- Follow MAP on social media to stay connected as new resources are available: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The Movement Advancement Project (MAP) tracks the landscape of LGBTQ- and democracy-related laws and policies via our Equality and Democracy Maps. We update them in real time, make them free to embed, and frequently provide data to advocates, policymakers, the media, and researchers. As we continue this work, MAP remains committed to a future where all people have a fair chance to pursue health and happiness, earn a living, take care of the ones they love, be safe in their communities, and participate in civic life.
