Strategy and “Spin”: Opposing Movement Frames in an Anti-Gay Voter Initiative

Abstract

Social movements typically do not operate in isolation. Rather, movements engage with an opposing movement over social and / or political change. In this paper, I ask to what extent must opposing movements be intertwined and reactive over the framing of issues? While scholarly attention has tended to focus on frames as movement outcomes I treat frames as “in motion,” constantly subject to interpretation in a context of competing messages. I argue that movements must attend to the claims of an opposing movement when voter resonance is at stake. I use the case of the Christian Right and the gay, lesbian, and bisexual movement in conflict over an antigay ballot initiative in Cincinnati, Ohio, to explore framing in a competitive context. Using qualitative data, I contend that movement actors must consider and react to an opposing movement over frame strategies because policy success may depend on how messages are articulated and how they are received.