Giving Visibility Back to the Invisible People. Asking about Sexual Orientation in Public Opinion Polls in Spain.

Abstract

The academic relevance of sexual orientation in social research has grown in recent years with the legitimization of the sociology of sexuality and queer studies. However, there are still few surveys that include a question on this issue, more so in Spain, where its presence in the questionnaires has been late compared to international trends. This text presents a comparative analysis of the different formulas that have been used to ask about sexual orientation (sexual behavior, partner identification, sexual attraction and self-identification) to address the academic and theoretical debate on their advantages or disadvantages. In addition, a description of the LGBA+ population (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, asexuals and other sexual orientations) is presented to observe some issues of effectiveness and representativeness of the question, its effects on the selection of the sample and its consequences in the investigations that incorporate this variable in the study. Finally, in the discussions it is defended that the question of self-identification is the one that best seems to respond to the construction of identity that sociology requires to respond to social phenomena, as well as a type of statement to ask the sexual orientation in public opinion questionnaires.