Queer people are some of the most oppressed, marginalized, and disadvantaged individuals in the world. In fact, same-sex relationships are considered a crime in over seventy-five countries. Globally, over a third of all countries criminalize LGBT people, constantly putting them at risk of persecution, hate crimes, imprisonment, and discrimination (Political Youth Network). Understanding the economic and social effects of the passage of Queer laws can help build more inclusive and safer communities. As a result, my research will be important to policymakers, to social justice advocates, to economists.

To policymakers, the econometric analysis of state-level and prefecture-level panel data will provide further insights on policy analysis – at a multinational level. How does the passage of Queer laws affect U.S. and Asian populations similarly, but also in their own ways? I believe this paper will produce more hypotheses on how the two countries’ varying political frameworks and infrastructures may affect, and optionally enhance, one another.