Objective: In August 2017, the Australian Government announced a voluntary, non-binding postal survey to seek opinion on the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. The government encouraged public debate on the issue. This study sought to identify impacts of the Australian postal survey and associated marriage equality debate on psychological distress experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer/questioning (LGBTIQ) people and their allies. Method:LGBTIQ identified people (n = 5,742) and people who identified as allies of LGBTIQ (n = 1,648) were recruited via social media to complete an online questionnaire administered during the survey and debate period. Participants completed demographic items, and measures of debate-related stress, prior experiences of depression, stress and anxiety, prior stressful life events, and psychological distress. Results:LGBTIQ people and allies reported high levels of debate-related stress, which was moderately and positively correlated with psychological distress. Comparison of means and correlation coefficients, and a preliminary multiple regression model suggested that LGBTIQ and allies experienced debate-related stress differently. Therefore, separate hierarchical regressions were performed for the groups. Debate-related stress accounted for unique variance in psychological distress in each group after accounting for prior life stress, prior psychological distress, and demographic variables. Conclusions: Debate-related stress predicted psychological distress for both LGBTIQ people and allies. Findings suggest that the marriage equality debate represented an acute external minority stress event that had measurable negative impacts on mental health of LGBTIQ people and their allies.

This study explored the lived experiences of a sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) people during the Australian Government postal survey on legal recognition of same-sex marriage (August to November 2017). Negative impacts of public voting and debates on marriage equality for LGBTIQ people have been previously documented in United States, but less so in other national contexts. Thematic analysis was conducted using written responses of LGBTIQ participants ( N = 5,313) to open-ended questions on a larger survey. Findings revealed that LGBTIQ participants experienced the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey debate as a pervasive and predominantly negative event. Participants reported experiences of prejudice and discrimination and increased fear, anxiety, anger, and depression. They also described the harm and hurt caused by widespread negative images of and messages about LGBTIQ people. Some participants felt their lives were under threat and reported psychological distress, including thoughts of suicide. Although a few participants noted positive support that helped them cope, most participants perceived the debate and vote as a highly stressful, socially fracturing process that threatened interpersonal relationships with family members, workmates, and communities. Many participants described feeling betrayed by the government, country, and Church. These findings extend previous studies that document the public health impacts of political processes that publicly debate the human rights of LGBTIQ individuals.

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