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Understanding the 'Pink' Vote in Aotearoa

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Understanding the 'Pink' Vote in Aotearoa Understanding the ‘Pink’ vote in Aotearoa Joshua James A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a Master of Arts in Gender Studies at the University of Otago Abstract There is little written on how gay men engage in the electoral process, and this lack of data extends to New Zealand. When speaking to peers about this topic, it was the widely held view that gay men support the Labour Party, as there has been a historic level of support for the queer community from the Labour Party. This study takes a mixed method approach to answer the dual research questions: which political parties do gay men in New Zealand vote for, and why do they vote for those parties? By using data from the New Zealand Values and Attitudes Survey, and the New Zealand Election Survey, this thesis shows a broad picture of how gay men vote. Interviews in Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin are used to expand on this, and to understand why gay men in New Zealand vote, and why they vote the way they do. Three theories of voting predictions are used to analyse this data: proximity theory, social structure theory, and rational choice theory. The results of the interviews and data analysis shows that, despite the assumption that gay men support the Labour Party, the majority of gay men in New Zealand vote for a diverse range of left-wing parties, and vote for parties that most closely align with their own values. Gay men were also driven to vote out of a sense of civic duty. Despite a small sample size, this thesis is a first-step in filling an academic gap in the electoral participation of queer people. ii Acknowledgments There are many people who I would like to acknowledge for their help, support, and, aroha in the construction of this thesis. I will start with my incredible supervisors, Professors Chris Brickell and Janine Hayward. Your advice and support have shaped this work into what it is. Considering also the fact that you were both the Heads of your respective Departments, and then Programmes, and yet you still provided me with timely advice and support is a testament to your ability – and your skills at multitasking. I am so lucky to have two leading academics in their respective fields assisting me through this journey. Under your guidance I have learned so much, and am more confident of my abilities. Thank you. To the multitude of academics who have helped me along the way, thank you. A special mention to Dr Lara Greaves and Prof Mark Henrickson. You were both particularly helpful with sourcing data – thank you. To Dr Chris Rudd: your feedback on ideas, opportunities for development and sense of humour have made this experience so great – thank you. A further recognition must be made to the incredible staff that we are lucky to have: Natasha, Helen, Bronwyn, and Shelley. Thank you for putting up with my incessant questions about how the university works, and for humouring my poor attempts at jokes. To the other postgraduates in both the Politics and Gender and Sociology teams, thank you. You all provided such relief after a momentary breakdown, or being there for a coffee (or pint). Never before have I met such a dedicated and passionate group of young people before. When we talk about transformative research, it is hard not to think of you lot. To my participants – thank you for giving up your time to talk with me. I’ve listened to every word that you spoke multiple times, and I am still uncovering new tidbits of information. Without you, this research would not be exist. I hope you will find this as interesting as I did. To my family – mum, I am currently eating the biscuits you sent me as I am writing this – thank you for your love and support. I would not be here if it were not for all of you. Lastly, to Matthew. Thank you for making the move to Dunedin to support my dreams. Every day that I wake up next to you makes me realise how I am the luckiest man on earth. Your support is a rock. I am beyond grateful for you every day. iii I would like to dedicate this body of work to my late grandmother, June Elizabeth (Elliott) James (1937-2019). Your keen sense of wit, compassion, and kindness are virtues which I hope to emulate. iv List of Abbreviations AfD: Alternative for Deutschland CMS: Church Missionary Society FPP: First Past the Post LGBT: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender1 MMP: Mixed-Member Proportional MP: Member of Parliament NZ: New Zealand NZAVS: New Zealand Attitude and Values Study NZES: New Zealand Election Study NZHLRS: New Zealand Homosexual Law Reform Society UKIP: United Kingdom Independence Party Scholarship Acknowledgment This research was made possible through the support of the New Zealand Electoral Commission, to whom I am extremely grateful. In awarding me their 2018 Suffrage Scholarship, they facilitated the removal of some of the financial pressures I was facing as a Masters student. To whoever is reading this, go and make sure your details are up to date on the electoral roll. Go and vote. Bring your friends, families, and neighbours. Teach your children how the process works. Support parties who support you. Get young people involved. Restore universal suffrage by giving prisoners the right to vote. Lower the voting age. Vote. Vote. Vote. 1 Different countries and communities have different variations of this abbreviation. Most commonly used is LGBT, but can extend to LGBTTQQIAAP (or some variation), which is: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Ally, Pansexual. v Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE: GOVERNMENT AND THE GAYS ................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER TWO: NEW ZEALAND’S ELECTORAL LANDSCAPE ....................................................... 12 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 2017 ........................................................................................................................... 15 2014 AND 2017 ELECTIONS ........................................................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER THREE: VOTING THEORY ................................................................................................... 22 CHAPTER FOUR: QUEER MEN VOTING .............................................................................................. 31 CHAPTER FIVE: METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................... 41 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH ....................................................................................................................... 41 QUANTITATIVE APPROACH .............................................................................................................................. 43 QUALITATIVE APPROACH ................................................................................................................................. 46 THEORETICAL ETHICS, ETHICAL CHALLENGES, AND QUEER ETHICS ............................................................... 50 CHAPTER SIX: HOW GAY MEN VOTE .................................................................................................. 54 BACKGROUND LITERATURE ............................................................................................................................. 54 NEW ZEALAND ATTITUDE AND VALUES STUDY .............................................................................................. 55 NEW ZEALAND ELECTION STUDY ................................................................................................................... 57 ALL TOGETHER NOW ....................................................................................................................................... 58 CHAPTER SEVEN: WHAT THEY SAID .................................................................................................. 60 WHY DO THEY VOTE LIKE THAT? ..................................................................................................................... 68 LINKS BETWEEN SEXUALITY AND VOTING ........................................................................................................ 70 LASTING EFFECTS OF HISTORIC LEGISLATION ................................................................................................ 72 ON ASSUMPTIONS ........................................................................................................................................... 73 ON COMMUNITY .............................................................................................................................................. 75 COSTS AND BARRIERS TO VOTING ................................................................................................................. 76 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IDENTITY AND VOTING ............................................................................................ 77 TO CONCLUDE ................................................................................................................................................. 78 CHAPTER EIGHT: DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................ 80 LEFT WING MAJORITY ..................................................................................................................................... 80 QUEERED VOTING THEORY ...........................................................................................................................
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