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Content and Complexity in Policy Reinvention and Diffusion: Gay and Transgender-Inclusive Laws against Discrimination

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Jami K. Taylor ,
Daniel C. Lewis ,
Matthew L. Jacobsmeier  and
Brian DiSarro
Jami K. Taylor
Affiliation:
University of Toledo, OH, USA
Daniel C. Lewis*
Affiliation:
University of New Orleans, LA, USA
Matthew L. Jacobsmeier
Affiliation:
University of New Orleans, LA, USA
Brian DiSarro
Affiliation:
California State University–Sacramento, USA
*
Daniel C. Lewis, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans, LA 70148, USA Email: dclewis1@uno.edu
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Abstract

This article sheds new light on policy diffusion by exploring policy complexity in state-level lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) antidiscrimination policies. The multiple component event history approach taken in this research allows for the concurrent study of both policy content and the factors that affect policy adoption. Results reveal that the factors influencing policy adoption vary depending on both the content and scope of the policy in question. In addition to addressing laws that protect gay people from discrimination, this article is one of the first studies in the political science and policy literature to empirically investigate the spread of transgender-inclusive laws. Despite combined advocacy and public conflation of identities, gay and transgender-inclusive laws appear to be influenced by different internal and external factors.

Keywords

policy innovation/diffusionpolicy processpolitics of sexualitypublic policyquantitative methods
Type
Research Article
Information
State Politics & Policy Quarterly , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , March 2012 , pp. 75 - 98
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2012

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