Generational attitudes towards homosexuality across Europe: Why individual and country-related factors matter?

Abstract

Only a few studies have examined generational differences in attitudes towards homosexuality across Europe. Also, little is known about the explanatory factors for these attitudes. This study aimed at exploring the differences between generations in attitudes towards homosexuality across Europe and examining the importance of the individual (gender, education, religiosity, political views and parenthood) and country-related (communist history, laws and policies guaranteeing LGBT rights) factors in explaining such attitudes of different generations. European Social Survey Round 9 data with 47,086 respondents from 27 European countries were analysed. The results showed that each younger generation was more accepting of homosexuality than the previous one. While gender, religiosity and communist history of the country were important predictors of attitudes towards homosexuality in all generations, the importance of education, political views, parenthood as well as laws and policies guaranteeing LGBT rights differed. This study extends the understanding of attitudinal changes and generational differences in attitudes towards homosexuality. Keywords: Homosexuality, generations, LGBT, rights;