The Relation of Religious Affiliation, Service Attendance, and Other Factors to Homophobic Attitudes among University Students

Abstract

Using a survey of undergraduates conducted at a Research i institute, we analyze anti-homosexual attitudes (homophobia) based on religious affiliation and attendance, relationships to known gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons, race/ethnicity, and gender. We separate religious affiliation into Catholic, Conservative Protestant, Moderate Protestant, Liberal Protestant, Non-Christian, and Non-affiliated. We find that members of Conservative Protestant denominations have the highest homophobia scores, followed by Moderate Protestants and Catholics, Liberal Protestants, Non-affiliated, and Non-Christian groups; these differences remain significant even after controlling for the other variables. We also find that the number and type of relationships to known lesbian, gay, or bisexual others influences attitudes strongly: more relationships and closer contact are associated with decreased homophobia. Finally, we find men and European-Americans in this sample to be significantly more homophobic than women and minority group members. There do not appear to be any significant interactions between gender and the other variables, however, in predicting homophobia. We conclude by suggesting that differences in religious affiliation, including differences within the large category of Protestants, dramatically affect attitudes toward homosexuality.