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Rating: 
Summary: Ground breaking research
Review: Hertzog's work examines the electoral behavior and political participation of GLBT Americans. Notably with the 1992 election of Bill Clinton, this group came out of the shadows of American politics, and their quest for equality was given unparralleled endorsement first from the campaign trail, and then the White House. Although they as a discernable voting block tend to be more socially liberal than the general population at large, this does not neccesarily mean GLBT voters are anti-war or the oft-riddiculed "tax and spend liberal". Indeed, GLBT Americans can even be found as members (or at least supporters of) conservative political parties. Hertzog's premise and supporting research argue that the potential electoral power of GLBT Americans has been historically undertaped (hindered by first a general climate of discrimination, and then the failure to inquire about sexual orientation on previous polling questionaires) and utlized by the major American political parties, but even the advances that happened in the 1990's still leave the community underutlized compared to both the general population and other community voting blocks. He also looks at voting blocks within the GLBT commuinity and concludes that voters identifying as feminist will have less in common with the heterosexual society than non-feminist GLBT voters. These feminist voters are more likely to register as very liberal on social issues and much less likely to support a strong millitary-industrial complex. Finally, Hertzog makes some interesting and (somewhat prophetic) predictions for the 1996 presidential elections. Despite uncovering evidence that the GLBT vote is not solidly Democrat, and GLBT's vote for Republicans who are socially moderate, he also warns that the GOP cannot expect to gain this vote if it continues to court people and organizations from the religious right.
This book is heartily reccomended for political and social scientists who are interested in American voting patterns and civil rights movements. Originally published as a doctoral thesis, this volume is certain to be an indispensable classic for researchers and activists alike.
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