The precarious queer (non) voter: sexuality, gender non-normativity, precarity and electoral participation

Existing research shows that unlike other marginalized minorities, LGBTQI+ voters are more inclined to participate in elections. One of the caveats often argued about these results is that more privileged LGBTQI+ people are more likely to self-identify as such in social surveys. While this piece does not resolve this issue, it does attempt to shed some light on the puzzle by asking: to what extent are LGBTQI+ people in precarious conditions less likely to exercise their right to vote? Using survey data from the Netherlands, we find suggestive evidence that precarity does indeed decrease reported voter turnout to a greater extent than political interest. Given the extent of the precariousness in the queer population, this paper proposes reexamining previous findings on the relationship between being LGBTQ+ and political participation.