Lgbtiq* Voters in Austria and Germany

Electoral Studies and Queer Studies are two fields of political science, which are based on quite different, even contradictory assumptions. With self-selective samples, we try to overcome this disciplinary division and finally make political interests and expectations of LGBTIQ* citizens visible for further scientific and public debates. This paper on the electoral behavior of LGBTIQ* presents data from two surveys in the context of the elections to the House of Representatives in Berlin (2016) and the municipal elections in Vienna (2015). The analysis focuses on the political agenda of the competing parties and the election behavior of LGBTIQ* voters in respond to the political offers. The comparison of the electoral programs shows that queer-political issues are markers to represent differences and competition within the party systems. The results of the online survey show that the method of a self-selective sample is suitable to study the political preferences of LGBTIQ * individuals. The support for green parties is remarkable both in Berlin and in Vienna. Beyond that, however, there are LGBTIQ* voters in Berlin and in Vienna who support right-wing populist parties and positions.