Graduation Year
2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Degree Granting Department
Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
Major Professor
Dr. James Cavendish, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Dr. Byron Miller, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Dr. Frank Biafora, Ph.D.
Keywords
Discrimination, Laws, LGBTQ+, the Christian Right
Abstract
An increasing amount legislation has been proposed and enacted across the United States, and particularly in the State of Florida, that targets or impacts the LGBTQ+ community. Research on the influence of religious beliefs within political decision-making has noted an association between individual religious identifications and attitudes towards various public policy issues, including issues that impact different marginalized populations. Looking specifically at the State of Florida, this thesis explores the relationship between religious identification and support (1) laws that protect LGBTQ+ people and (2) religious exemptions from nondiscrimination laws. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, including secondary data analysis of the Florida portion of the 2022 American Values Survey, and primary analyses of original interview data collected in the Tampa Bay area, it was found that certain religious identities have significant association with public policy attitudes, though other variables, such as political party affiliation or level of personal religiosity in life, were found to be stronger predictors.
Scholar Commons Citation
Ward, Theresa, "The Influence of Religious Beliefs on Attitudes Towards Public Policy and Religious Exemptions in Florida" (2025). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/11018
