Abstract
Homophobia and heterosexism are inconsistent with social work values but have been reported in studies of social workers and social work students. This study analyzed and compared the responses to qualitative and quantitative items of 147 heterosexual undergraduate social work majors from twelve institutions throughout the United States. One open-ended item explored attitudes toward lesbians and gay men and support for relationship rights for this group. Herek's Attitudes toward Lesbians and Gay Men scale (ATLG) and a relationship rights scale, constructed for this study, provided quantitative data. Analysis of the open-ended item identified three thematic categories that represented acceptance; non-acceptance; and tolerance, but with conditions. The uniqueness of each of the three categories was supported by significant differences among them on Herek's ATLG and on the relationship rights scale. Numerous quotes from respondents underscore the subtle prejudice that can be missed by social work educators who are unaware of the nuances of language in this area. Implications for social work education are presented.
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