{"paper_id":"0fef034e-dd99-4e0b-96fd-2e9b06036ec7","body_text":"The Effect of Same-sex Marriage Policy on Social Acceptance of Sexual Minorities: Evidence From Spain | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Effect of Same-sex Marriage Policy on Social Acceptance of Sexual Minorities: Evidence From Spain Albert Pierres-Tejada This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6448839/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Introduction : Laws have the potential to influence social norms and attitudes, particularly regarding moral values and minority groups. This study examines how the introduction of Same-Sex marriage rights in Spain affected societal attitudes toward Lesbian and Gay communities. Methods : Using survey data from two waves of the European Social Survey (ESS) for 20 European countries (72,114 observations), this study employs a difference-in-differences approach to analyze attitudes before and after the 2005 policy change in Spain. The analysis also explores variations in response across personality traits and social groups. Results : The introduction of Same-Sex marriage policy had a positive and significant effect on mass attitudes toward Lesbian and Gay communities. These effects extended to traditionally less tolerant groups, such as men and religious individuals. However, there was no significant evidence of an effect on far-right individuals. Conclusions : The findings suggest that laws can shape societal values and foster greater acceptance of minority groups, even among populations that are traditionally less tolerant. Policy Implications: Policymakers should consider the broader societal benefits of inclusive legislation, such as reducing prejudice and promoting tolerance, when designing and implementing policies aimed at protecting minority rights. JEL Classification : K36, J15, Z13, D72 Same-sex marriage Social norms Lesbian and gay rights Social attitudes Public opinion Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {\"props\":{\"pageProps\":{\"initialData\":{\"identity\":\"rs-6448839\",\"acceptedTermsAndConditions\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"archivedVersions\":[],\"articleType\":\"Research Article\",\"associatedPublications\":[],\"authors\":[{\"id\":451918667,\"identity\":\"a5e38cc1-74bb-4c4f-9525-5ce9cd3ee248\",\"order_by\":0,\"name\":\"Albert Pierres-Tejada\",\"email\":\"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABA0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACxgYwZX+8gfEAVIgNiJkJaTFgYDhzgIFYLWAA1HIjgUgt/LObGx9X7vkjxzjz8YPDvDl35OQbeMweMFRYJzbg0CJx52Cz4ZlnBsbM0mkGh3m3PTM2OMBjbsBwJh2nFoYbiW2SDQcMEtukE0BaDiduYOAxk2BsO4xTi/yNxPafQC31PZLHP4C01M9vAGn5h1uLAdAWRqCWBAkJHrAtwEAAaWnArcUQ6Begw4wNN/DkFBycu+2w4YbDbOUGCcfSjXFpkbvd/vBjwwE5eQP24xsfvN12WF6+vXnbgw811rI4vS+BIQKKkQRcyrFrGQWjYBSMglGABgDx/V90mIjZWQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Barcelona\",\"correspondingAuthor\":true,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Albert\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Pierres-Tejada\",\"suffix\":\"\"}],\"badges\":[],\"createdAt\":\"2025-04-14 19:53:05\",\"currentVersionCode\":1,\"declarations\":\"\",\"doi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6448839/v1\",\"doiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6448839/v1\",\"draftVersion\":[],\"editorialEvents\":[],\"editorialNote\":\"\",\"failedWorkflow\":false,\"files\":[{\"id\":83069379,\"identity\":\"3da9ee47-2959-417e-ad6e-49e884c9e343\",\"added_by\":\"auto\",\"created_at\":\"2025-05-19 16:19:19\",\"extension\":\"pdf\",\"order_by\":1,\"title\":\"\",\"display\":\"\",\"copyAsset\":false,\"role\":\"manuscript-pdf\",\"size\":1391917,\"visible\":true,\"origin\":\"\",\"legend\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"filename\":\"PaperssexmarriageToReview2.pdf\",\"url\":\"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6448839/v1_covered_456c8c7f-9812-40b0-9e31-1e187bce80e7.pdf\"}],\"financialInterests\":\"No competing interests reported.\",\"formattedTitle\":\"The Effect of Same-sex Marriage Policy on Social Acceptance of Sexual Minorities: Evidence From Spain\",\"fulltext\":[],\"fulltextSource\":\"\",\"fullText\":\"\",\"funders\":[],\"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow\":false,\"hasManuscriptDocX\":false,\"hasOptedInToPreprint\":true,\"hasPassedJournalQc\":\"\",\"hasAnyPriority\":false,\"hideJournal\":true,\"highlight\":\"\",\"institution\":\"\",\"isAcceptedByJournal\":false,\"isAuthorSuppliedPdf\":true,\"isDeskRejected\":\"\",\"isHiddenFromSearch\":false,\"isInQc\":false,\"isInWorkflow\":false,\"isPdf\":true,\"isPdfUpToDate\":true,\"isWithdrawnOrRetracted\":false,\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"researchsquare\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"externalIdentity\":\"\",\"sideBox\":\"\",\"snPcode\":\"\",\"submissionUrl\":\"/submission\",\"title\":\"Research Square\",\"twitterHandle\":\"researchsquare\",\"acdcEnabled\":true,\"dfaEnabled\":false,\"editorialSystem\":\"\",\"reportingPortfolio\":\"\",\"inReviewEnabled\":false,\"inReviewRevisionsEnabled\":true},\"keywords\":\"Same-sex marriage, Social norms, Lesbian and gay rights, Social attitudes, Public opinion\",\"lastPublishedDoi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6448839/v1\",\"lastPublishedDoiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6448839/v1\",\"license\":{\"name\":\"CC BY 4.0\",\"url\":\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\"},\"manuscriptAbstract\":\"\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eIntroduction\\u003c/strong\\u003e: Laws have the potential to influence social norms and attitudes, particularly regarding moral values and minority groups. 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