Does It Matter Where You Live? Nondiscrimination Laws and the Experiences of LGB Residents

Nondiscrimination policies are intended to prohibit discrimination on the basis of specified characteristics. It is also argued that they send a message to minority groups that they are protected and welcomed within that jurisdiction. This study tested the latter supposition by exploring whether lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) residents of states and cities with nondiscrimination policies that included sexual orientation perceived a more positive and less negative environment and experienced less minority stress. An online survey of 2,511 LGB individuals confirmed that inclusive nondiscrimination policies are positively associated with perceptions of fewer negative messages and more positive messages in the environment, higher levels of disclosure of sexual identity and social support, and lower levels of internalized homophobia. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for policy, as well as the limitations of the data.