Racism, sexism, and erotophobia: attitudes of heterosexuals toward homosexuals

This investigation examines the differential power of explanation of a sexual conservatism theory of homophobia against a more general theory of intergroup prejudice. Forty-eight female and 31 male undergraduate introductory psychology students from a large Eastern university completed a survey assessing contemporary attitudes toward women, Blacks, and homosexuals, as well as their affective orientation towards sex. The results indicate that sexual conservatism, as measured by an affective dimension of erotophilia-erotophobia, and social prejudice, as measured by racist and sexist beliefs, are independent and equal predictors of antihomosexual sentiment. It is suggested that distinct etiological differences may exist in the development of the homophobic personality. Findings are discussed within the context of Herek's (1984) functional approach to understanding attitudes toward lesbians and gay men.     

Attachment Style,Openness to Experience,and Social Contact as Predictors of Attitudes Toward Homosexuality

ABSTRACT

Considerable research has shown that people generally hold more negative attitudes toward homosexuals. Given this fact, it is important to understand psychological and social correlates of homophobia. With this purpose, the present study investigates attachment styles, openness to experience, and social contact in relation to attitudes toward homosexuals. The findings show that being female, having prior contact with homosexuals, and scoring high in openness to experience predict more favorable attitudes toward homosexuals. The supplementary analyses also support the moderating effect of secure attachment on the relationship between openness to experience and attitudes toward homosexuals. The present study not only extends the related research by examining the interactive effects of attachment style and personality trait, but also provides important implications for researchers, educators, or managers in terms of reducing anti-homosexual attitudes in diverse settings.     

Correlates of Homophobic Attitudes in Lebanon: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

To assess homophobic attitudes toward gay and lesbian persons and examine how those negative attitudes contributed to risk factors that may impact gay and lesbian persons among a sample of Lebanese individuals. A cross-sectional study, conducted between March and July 2017, enrolled 400 participants aged between 15 and 80 years. 129 (32.3%) of the participants had severe homophobic attitudes. An increase in intense homophobia would significantly increase the odds of emotion focused engagement and decrease the problem focused engagement (Beta = 1.05 and Beta = ?1.19, respectively). A stepwise linear regression, using the total homophobia score as the dependent variable showed that knowing someone gay (Beta = ?12.97), university education level (Beta = ?14.93), high monthly income (Beta = ?4.33), and higher problem-focused engagement subscale (Beta = ?0.54) would significantly decrease the total homophobic score. Our study supports the prevalence of homophobia among people in Lebanon. Understanding the correlation factors and predict discriminative attitudes can be of great help for policymakers when it comes to approaching the problem of homophobia with evidence-based solutions.     

Heterosexual Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage

Negative attitudes of heterosexual people toward same-sex marriage relate to the degree to which they are homophobic. However, it has been understudied whether there exists a gender difference in this association. Our results indicated that homophobia was the best predictor of attitudes toward gay male and lesbian marriage, and this was equally true for both heterosexual men and women. However, the attitudinal difference between gay male and lesbian marriage was related to homophobia in men but not in women. That is, for men only, being less homophobic toward lesbians than toward gay men was associated with favoring lesbian over gay men marriage. Considering these results, the role of gender in attitudes toward same-sex marriage seems to be as an important moderator of homophobia.     

Heteronegativism? The attitudes of gay men and lesbians toward heterosexuals

Although many studies have been conducted on homophobia, little information exists about the attitudes of homosexuals toward heterosexuals. In order to compare the attitudes of both groups, a well-known homophobia questionnaire (Hudson & Ricketts, 1980) was reworded to assess the attitudes of homosexuals toward heterosexuals, forming a "heterophobia" questionnaire. The less clinical term "heteronegativism" is introduced here to refer to the range of negative feelings that gay individuals could possess regarding heterosexuals. Sixty homosexual students were matched with 60 heterosexual psychology students on sex, age, race, and education. Each group was given its respective "phobia" questionnaire. Hypotheses that homosexual participants would report less phobia and more negative experience than heterosexuals and that gay women would report more phobia than gay men were supported. Hypotheses that level of abuse in closeted homosexuals would be positively correlated with phobia scores and that being "out of the closet" would be negatively correlated with phobia scores were not supported.     

Demographic and Social Factors Associated with Homophobia and Fear of AIDS in a Community Sample

Examinations of demographic and social factors associated with homophobia and fear of AIDS are limited by the frequent use of homogeneous, college student samples and limited examination of interrelationships among variables. The present study examined community attitudes toward homosexuality and fear of HIV/AIDS as a function of age, education, race/ethnicity, religious affiliation, political party affiliation, and personal contact with homosexual individuals and persons living with HIV/AIDS. A community sample of 463 adults completed standardized measures of homophobia and fear of AIDS as well as demographic and social background items. When examined separately, each demographic and social factor assessed, with the exception of race/ethnicity, was associated with homophobia and all but race/ethnicity and political party affiliation were associated with fear of AIDS. However, when entered into multiple regression analyses, 24% of the variance in homophobia was predicted by a single variable, including only personal contact with homosexual individuals, while 18% of the variance in fear of AIDS was accounted for by five variables, including personal contact with homosexual individuals, religious affiliation, political affiliation, education, and personal contact with someone living with HIV/AIDS. Findings suggest that it is important to consider intercorrelations among social and demographic factors, particularly when considering homophobia.     

Changing homophobic attitudes through college sexuality education

It was hypothesized that a unit on homosexuality (which emphasized role playing and the debunking of myths) in an undergraduate college sexuality course would alter students' homophobic attitudes. A modified version of the Hudson/Ricketts Index of Homophobia was used to measure homophobia. At the completion of the course, for those students in the treatment group with pretest scores above the median, the homophobic scores decreased significantly when compared to the scores of control counterparts. The results of this study also showed that there was no significant difference in homophobia scores at the end of the course for those students in the treatment group with pretest scores below the median when compared to the appropriate controls.     

Attitudes of psychologists and psychologists-in-training to homosexual women and men: an Australian study

Homophobic reactions of Australian psychologists (n = 43), postgraduate psychology students (n = 17) and undergraduate psychology students (n = 44) were compared using Van de Ven's (1994) measures of cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions of homophobia. Results suggested that undergraduates were significantly more homophobic than psychologists in their thinking, intentional behavior and feelings of fear or discomfort in relation to lesbians and gay men. No other significant group differences were found. Gender differences were found only in relation to one affective dimension of homophobia. Low levels of positive affective response to homosexuals were observed across groups and gender. The study underscores the importance of assessing homophobic response multidimensionally. Implications for the training of Australian psychologists are discussed.     

Homophobic and sexist yet uncontested: examining football fan postings on Internet message boards

Although a homophobic and sexist archetype of heterosexual masculinity has been thought to permeate competitive teamsport, matters have been rapidly changing. This is evident in research on openly gay athletes, attitudes among heterosexual athletes, and recent studies on decreasing homophobia among sport media content. In this research, however, we examine how some men still adhere to a homophobic and sexist masculine deposition when discussing sport on the Internet. A textual analysis was used to analyze hegemonic masculinity from a popular American football message board. Although posts related to hegemonic masculinity did not permeate the data, we found that this traditional form of masculinity was upheld through misogyny, homophobia, and the objectification of women. Thus, whereas mainstream sport media is increasingly policed for homophobia and sexism, this research shows that the anonymity of the Internet permits hegemonic masculinity to flourish in specific locations, without contestation.     

Attitudes toward gay,lesbian, and bisexual persons among heterosexual liberal arts college students

This research focuses on attitudes toward homosexuals and homosexuality among 692 heterosexual students at six liberal arts colleges. Attitudes, assessed in a variety of ways, are examined in relation to students' Greek affiliation, sex role attitudes, religion and religiosity, and contact with and knowledge of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. Results suggest that attributes predicting acceptance of gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons are female sex, liberal sex-role attitudes, lower religiosity as measured both by beliefs and by attendance, membership in more liberal Protestant denominations, attendance at colleges that do not have Greek letter social organizations, and having positive contacts with gay, lesbian, and/or bisexual persons.     

Competing Claims: Religious Affiliation and African Americans’ Intolerance of Homosexuals

Literature on religion and political intolerance indicates competing expectations about how Black Protestant church affiliation affects African Americans’ attitudes about civil liberties. On the one hand, Black Protestant theology emphasizes personal freedom and social justice, factors generally linked to more tolerant attitudes. On the other hand, Black Protestants tend to be conservative on family and social issues, factors often linked to intolerance of gays and lesbians. Data from the General Social Survey are used to examine the influence of religious group identification, as well as other relevant aspects of religiosity, on political intolerance among African Americans. Results indicate that although other aspects of religion (beliefs and behaviors) help explain variation in political intolerance, Black Protestant church affiliation has no relationship with attitudes about the civil liberties of homosexuals. However, additional tests show that Black Protestant church affiliation significantly predicts intolerance of other target groups (atheists and racists).     

With friends like these. . .the role of prejudice and situational norms on discriminatory helping behavior

An experiment was conducted to examine the impact of homophobic attitudes and situational norms for helping on discriminatory behavior against a gay male. In a partial replication of Frey and Gaertner (1986), participants were asked to provide help to a confederate portrayed to be either gay or heterosexual who either requested help for himself (ambiguous situational norm) or for whom a third party requested help (unambiguous situational norm). Participants' levels of homophobia were assessed either before or after the main helping task. The results indicated that when norms for helping were ambiguous those participants higher in homophobia discriminated against the gay male, but only on subtle indicators of discrimination. In the unambiguous norm condition, participants higher in homophobia discriminated against the heterosexual male. Those lower in homophobia did not discriminate under either norm condition. The results show that it may be sufficient for those with prejudiced attitudes just to believe that it is not "the wrong thing to do" for their attitudes to be translated into some form of discriminatory behavior.     

The personality variable openness to experience as it relates to homophobia

The present study investigated personality and demographic variables of homophobic and non-homophobic individuals. Variables explored included the personality characteristics Neuroticism, Extroversion, and Openness to Experience. The following demographic variables were also explored: gender role beliefs, gender, and personal contact. Participants included 123 students from a large Western university, enrolled in introductory courses in psychology or sociology. Participants completed a questionnaire packet containing a demographic inquiry and three psychological measures-the NEO Personality Inventory, the Assessment of Attitudes Towards Lesbians and Gay Men, and the Bem Sex Role Inventory. Results revealed the variable contact as the most critical predictor of homophobia, followed by gender, and the personality variable Openness to Experience. Furthermore, those who had not had previous contact with a homosexual individual and men were significantly more homophobic. No significant differences were found among gender roles in relation to self-reported indices of homophobia. The results provide attitudinal and behavioral differences that differentiate individuals who are intolerant of homosexuality from those that are more accepting of alternative lifestyles.     

Authoritarian and Homophobic Attitudes: Gender and Adult Attachment Style Differences

This study explored the relations of gender and adult attachment styles to college students' scores on several measures of authoritarian attitudes (e.g., right-wing authoritarianism, ethnocentrism, homophobia, and religious fundamentalism). A multivariate analysis of authoritarian attitudes yielded significant main and interaction effects involving students' gender and their (categorical) attachment style scores. Relative to women, men reported higher levels of homophobia, ethnocentrism, and right-wing authoritarianism. Gender differences in homophobia were additionally conditioned by participants' adult attachment styles: Men with dismissing styles evidenced the highest levels of homophobia, whereas women with dismissing styles demonstrated the lowest levels; that is, a fear of intimacy seemed to contribute to homophobic attitudes found among heterosexual men. This was the first U.S. study of the relationship between adult attachment styles and right-wing authoritarianism, and further investigation is warranted.     

"Josh wears pink cleats": inclusive masculinity on the soccer field

In this ethnographic research of a college-based soccer team at a large liberal college in Northeast America, I document the existence of more inclusive versions of masculinity that contrast conventional understandings of male teamsport athletes. Using participant observation and 21 in-depth interviews, I show that these men demonstrate metrosexual and inclusive behaviors and attitudes. The styles of masculinity these men enact are more relaxed, liberal, and inclusive; they are well styled, well groomed, gay friendly, and they are emotionally and physically close to other men. They are far removed from the traditional orthodox sporting masculinities of previous generations. Symbolizing their difference, their gendered expressions also extend to the wearing of pink soccer boots (cleats), without homophobic judgment from teammates. I discuss the wearing of pink cleats as a symbolic sociological moment, revealing the changing nature of masculinities among this group of college-based soccer players.     

Attitudes Toward Homosexuality in Adolescence: An Italian Study

This study investigates Italian adolescents’ attitudes toward gay men and lesbians and same-sex marriage, and their beliefs about the origins of homosexuality. The sample consists of 449 subjects (226 males), aged between 14 and 21 years. The principal instruments used are: the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay men (ATLG), the Modern Homonegativity Scale (MHS), and the Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage (ATSM). Results suggest that males show a more negative attitude than females toward homosexuals. Furthermore data reveal that respondents with a lack of personal direct contact with gay people have less positive attitudes toward homosexual people and same-sex marriage. The data in this study suggest that homophobia could be deeply rooted in a traditional value system that refutes gender equality.     

Physicians' attitudes toward homosexuality and HIV: survey of a California Medical Society- revisited (PATHH-II)

In 1982, Mathews et al. surveyed San Diego County Medical Society's (SDCMS) physicians about their attitudes toward homosexuality. They found significant differences in prevalence of homophobic attitudes by gender, year of medical school graduation, specialty, and practice setting. To assess current physicians' attitudes toward homosexuality and persons with HIV infection, an anonymous, self-administered, 17-item survey was mailed to all 4,385 members of the SDCMS and 1,271 UCSD physicians. The survey included items measuring attitudes toward homosexuality and toward entry to medical school and referral patterns, conditional on sexual orientation and HIV status of hypothetical referents. Only 3% of respondents would not admit a highly qualified homosexual applicant to medical school compared with 30% in 1982. Similarly, 9% would discontinue referrals to a gay pediatrician compared with 46% of respondents in 1982. Forty-two percent would not admit a "highly qualified but asymptomatic HIV-infected applicant with excellent response to antiretroviral therapy to medical school" and 66% would discontinue referral to a general surgeon known to be HIV infected. In multiple logistic regression analyses controlling for sex and medical school affiliation, significant (p < 0.05) independent predictors of being in the highest 10% on an HIV-phobia scale were year of graduation from medical school and degree of homophobia (model ROC = 0.77). This survey suggests a substantial reduction in homophobia since 1982. However, attitudes toward homosexuals and year of graduation from medical school appear to be significant predictors of attitudes toward persons with HIV infection.     

Welfare states and social mobility: How educational and social policy may affect cross-national differences in the association between occupational origins and destinations

Cross-national differences in the association between origins and destinations correspond to differences in both welfare regime type and access to post-secondary education. Socialist and social democratic welfare regimes foster a weaker origin–destination association than liberal, corporatist, or mixed regimes do. Nations with better-educated labor forces tend to also be the nations where the association between origins and destinations is weakest. Furthermore, the social and educational policy interact so that the tendency for educational access to lower the origin–destination association is most pronounced in the liberal welfare setting where the association would otherwise be greatest. Greater access is not necessarily associated with greater equality of opportunity, and we find very weak evidence that equality of educational opportunity itself is a direct influence on equality of occupational opportunity (even though nations that have a strong origin–education association also have a strong origin–destination association).