Same‐Sex Marriage Legalization and Attitudes Toward Gays and Lesbians: Evidence From a Natural Experiment

ABSTRACT This study investigates whether policy changes aimed at elevating the status of historically negatively constructed groups can sway previously unfavorable social images, using the legalization of same‐sex marriage as a critical empirical case. Leveraging data from the Joint EVS/WVS conducted in 2019 across countries, this study exploits a unique natural experiment in Taiwan, where the policy on same‐sex marriage shifted to legalization during the survey period. This timing allows us to examine the immediate effect of same‐sex marriage legalization on public attitudes toward gays and lesbians. Using difference‐in‐difference analysis, this study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that after the legalization of same‐sex marriage, there appears to be a shift in public attitudes, with individuals tending to view homosexuality as more justifiable, being more likely to accept homosexuals as neighbors, and being more agreeable to the notion that homosexual couples are as good as other parents. Related Articles Bramlett, B. H. 2012. “The Cross‐Pressures of Religion and Contact with Gays and Lesbians, and Their Impact on Same‐Sex Marriage Opinion.” Politics & Policy 40, no. 1: 13–42. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2011.00337.x . Gover, D. 2023. “Religious Lobbying and Policy Influence: Christian Interest Group Impacts Around the Legalization of Same‐Sex Marriage in England and Wales.” Politics & Policy 51, no. 6: 1097–1116. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12559 . Tsai, H.‐T. and G. B. Lewis. 2025. “Cultural Conservatism and Opposition to Marriage Equality: The Case of Taiwan.” Politics & Policy 53, no. 3: e70036. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.70036 .