Abstract
The exclusion of sexual minorities (LGB: lesbian, gay, bisexual) from full participation in society with equal opportunity and dignity is an important human rights issue and one that is increasingly recognized by international bodies and national governments in all regions of the world. The recognition and achievement of human rights for LGB people is currently on the agenda of many European countries. For example, as of July 2020, sixteen European countries legally recognize and perform same-sex marriages (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) and an additional fourteen European countries legally recognize some form of civil union (Andorra, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Slovenia, and Switzerland).
However, several Eastern European countries are lagging behind when it comes to recognizing the human rights of the LGB population and/or any form of same-sex unions. Therefore, this study aims to understand the public attitudes for the LGB population in three non-EU member Eastern European countries: Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. In particular, this project aims to understand how attitudes towards the LGB population are affected by information treatments on (i) economic inclusion and (ii) debunking myths about sexual minorities. To do so, we will
conduct an online experiment, which will enable us to investigate differential information treatment effects on LGB attitudes.