Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) individuals encounter persistent structural inequalities and discrimination that can lead to detrimental psychological and physiological health outcomes. Amid evolving legal landscapes, little attention has been directed toward understanding the physiological health effects of societal shifts on these communities. This study aims to explore the impact of a national marriage equality vote and associated debates on psychological and biological stress among LGBTIQ+ individuals and cisgender, heterosexual, endosex individuals (termed cis-heterosexual) in Switzerland. We gathered longitudinal survey and biological data collected in hair samples among LGBTIQ+ and cis-heterosexual individuals before, during, and after the 2021 national vote (survey data: N T1T2 = 954; N T2T3 = 880; biological data: N T1T2 = 393; N T2T3 = 354). Preregistered analyses reveal a notable increase in biological stress levels (i.e., cortisol and cortisone levels), but not perceived stress, among both LGBTIQ+ as well as cis-heterosexual individuals who were close to them during the campaign. Results further point out the negative impacts of the campaign against marriage equality (i.e., no-campaign) on LGBTIQ+ individuals’ biological stress levels as well as on those of their allies. These effects were, however, moderated by exposure to the campaign for marriage equality (i.e., yes-campaign), indicating the powerful buffering effects of the yes-campaign on the impact of discrimination on individuals’ health. However, these positive effects appear to come at a cost, potentially impacting the well-being of individuals engaged in advocating for the yes-campaign. This research underscores the lasting impact of political campaigns on individuals’ health.

中文翻译：

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婚姻平等运动对压力的影响：瑞士公众投票是否引起了人们的不满？


女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋、跨性别者、双性人和酷儿 (LGBTIQ+) 个体会遇到持续的结构性不平等和歧视，可能导致有害的心理和生理健康结果。在不断变化的法律环境中，很少有人关注社会变化对这些社区的生理健康影响。本研究旨在探讨全国婚姻平等投票以及相关辩论对瑞士 LGBTIQ+ 个体和顺性别、异性恋、内性个体（称为顺式异性恋）心理和生物压力的影响。我们收集了 2021 年全国投票之前、期间和之后 LGBTIQ+ 和顺式异性恋者的纵向调查和头发样本中收集的生物数据（调查数据：氮T1T2 = 954；氮T2T3 = 880；生物学数据：氮T1T2 = 393；氮T2T3 = 354）。预先登记的分析显示，在活动期间与他们关系密切的 LGBTIQ+ 和顺式异性恋者中，生物压力水平（即皮质醇和可的松水平）显着增加，但感知到的压力并未增加。结果进一步指出了反对婚姻平等运动（即无运动）对 LGBTIQ+ 个体及其盟友的生物压力水平的负面影响。然而，这些影响因参与婚姻平等运动（即“赞成运动”）而得到缓和，这表明“赞成运动”对歧视对个人健康的影响具有强大的缓冲作用。 然而，这些积极影响似乎是有代价的，可能会影响参与倡导“是”运动的个人的福祉。这项研究强调了政治运动对个人健康的持久影响。