The Extent of Income Disparities Based on the Intersections of Sex and Sexual Orientation: Revisiting a 2003 Study by John M. Blandford

Using data from the 1998 to 2012 General Social Survey (GSS), this study uses a broad approach to examine the extent of annual income differences between queer males and queer females and their heterosexual group counterparts. The research primarily revisits a 2003 study by John M. Blandford, but approaches the data using a propensity score matching approach rather than through OLS regression. Overall, while Blandford found that queer males experience a significant income penalty and queer females face an income premium, my research finds that queer status has no statistically significant effect on income. Though the heterosexual and the queer groups are successfully matched, my research finds that queer males and queer females are not systematically receiving higher or lower incomes in the modern labor market.