Haider-Markel, Donald; Taylor, Jami K; Flores, Andrew; Lewis, Daniel; Miller, Patrick; Tadlock, Barry
description
Recent political debate over transgender military service and gendered
bathroom use highlights a dramatic increase in salience over transgender issues
in the US. In this essay, we examine a potential new front in the culture wars by
reviewing recent empirical research in social science on the politics of transgender
rights in the context of morality politics. Research on morality politics has
often focused on LGBT rights, with an emphasis on gay and lesbian rights and
little attention to transgender issues. We highlight the progress of research on
transgender issues in the US, focusing on the study of attitudes about transgender
people and rights, transgender rights in states and localities, and broader
findings affecting transgender populations. Although there is ample research still
needed, the current state of empirical social science on transgender issues has
made great advancements in the past decade and shows that morality continues
to shape LGBT politics and policy.
