Levels Of Homophobia Research Articles

Still an occupational hazard? The relationship between homophobia, heteronormativity, student learning and performance, and an openly gay university lecturer

ABSTRACTThis study examined the complex relationship between homophobia, heteronormativity, and an openly gay lecturer in a British university setting. First, heterosexual undergraduate sports students’ levels of homophobia were recorded. Then, after taught sessions, participants were asked to estimate the frequency of homosexual-heterosexual examples and content used, as well as to complete tests to measure academic progress. This was followed by an end-of-course examination. Results indicated (a) no relationship between levels of homophobia and levels of heteronormativity; (b) that levels of heteronormativity and homophobia were unrelated to a student's ability to learn from an openly gay lecturer or their examination performance; (c) the presence of an openly gay lecturer significantly reduced homophobia among undergraduate students. These findings offer support to gay educators by highlighting the minimal impact on student learning and performance from being open about their sexuality. Instead, these results suggest that being open about homosexuality could reduce homophobia among undergraduate students.

Reducing homophobia in college students through film appreciation

The purpose of this study is to explore the responses of young members of the audience to media narratives that portray gay men positively with particular emphasis on the extent to which film appreciation reduced homophobia. One hundred and fifty college students from a Serbian university (MAge = 21.58, SD = 2.199) completed a questionnaire measuring homophobia and two months later, they watched the film The Parade (2011) and their appreciation and perception of the film’s quality were assessed along with the level of their homophobia. Statistical analysis that was carried out revealed three relevant findings. First, higher levels of homophobia correlate with less positive evaluations and appreciation of the film. Second, the results show that a greater degree of film appreciation correlates with a decrease in individual’s homophobia level, and last, the analysis reveals that gender of the audience members is not a determining factor when it comes to appreciation or evaluation of the film. The results expounded here contribute to entertainment theories and are useful for promoting sexual diversity in the media.

A socioecological measurement of homophobia for all countries and its public health impact.

Measuring homophobia at country level is important to guide public health policy as reductions in stigma are associated with improved health outcomes among gay men and other men who have sex with men. Methods: We developed a Homophobic Climate Index incorporating institutional and social components of homophobia. Institutional homophobia was based on the level of enforcement of laws that criminalise, protect or recognise same-sex relations. Social homophobia was based on the level of acceptance and justifiability of homosexuality. We estimated the Index for 158 countries and assessed its robustness and validity. Western Europe is the most inclusive region, followed by Latin America. Africa and the Middle East are home to the most homophobic countries with two exceptions: South Africa and Cabo Verde. We found that a 1% decrease in the level of homophobia is associated with a 10% increase in the gross domestic product per capita. Countries whose citizens face gender inequality, human rights abuses, low health expenditures and low life satisfaction are the ones with a higher homophobic climate. Moreover, a 10% increase in the level of homophobia at country level is associated with a 1.7-year loss in life expectancy for males. A higher level of homophobia is associated with increased AIDS-related death among HIV-positive men. The socioecological approach of this index demonstrates the negative social, economic and health consequences of homophobia in low- and middle-income countries. It provides sound evidence for public health policy in favour of the inclusion of sexual minorities.

Positive Representation of Gay Characters in Movies for Reducing Homophobia

This study addresses the effect of narratives offering a positive depiction of gay men on the audience’s change in attitude towards homosexuality. Specifically, it analyzes the relationship of character identification, inter-group contact, religiosity and gender with homophobia reduction. One hundred and fifty students of a Serbian University (MAge = 22.13, SD = 2.28) filled in a questionnaire measuring socio-demographic information and the instrument H25 assessing homophobia. Two months later, they watched a movie depicting gay men in a positive manner and completed a questionnaire containing the homophobia scale and questions related to identification with the main character, inter-group contact and religiosity. The results showed that watching the movie is related to a reduction of homophobia and that character identification and inter-group contact are negatively correlated with homophobia, whereas religiosity is positively correlated with it. Results also show that there is a negative correlation between religiosity and the attitude change induced by the movie, and that men express higher level of homophobia than women. The study contributes to the knowledge of the mechanisms reducing homophobia through media.

The Europeanization of Anti-LGBT Hate Crime Laws in the Western Balkans

Despite high levels of societal homophobia, Western Balkan countries have recently passed laws proscribing anti-LGBT violence. The laws, however, are rarely used, as these countries report few or no recorded cases. The question is: Why do Western Balkan countries legislate against homophobia, but then fail to operationalize that legislation? Hate studies, still over-focused on the West, do not provide the answer. The aim of this paper is to offer a possible explanation based a combination of secondary data provided by the OSCE and primary research undertaken by the author. Using the theory of Europeanization as an explanatory frame, the paper argues that hate crime laws are enacted as part of the democratization process, with the support of the OSCE and NGOs, and under EU influence. As this is done before favourable sentiments are assured, insufficient resources are put into the policing and monitoring of hate crime.

Aproximación al estado de la población LGTB Sudafricana en comparación con la española. Similitudes teóricas frente a divergencias prácticas

<p>South Africa and Spain have similar legislation regarding the decriminalisation of homosexuality and equality and access to Human Rights for the LGBT population. But, the real social experience of homosexual people in the two countries is very different. This article explores homophobia in Africa by describing the real social experiences of the LGBT population in South Africa compared with Spain. The so-called Rainbow Nation, despite its progressive constitution which guarantees LGBT human rights and the absence of discrimination, still contains a high level of homophobia, violence against homosexuals, corrective rapes of Lesbians and a high rate of HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men.</p><p><strong>Published online</strong>: 11 December 2017</p>

Sexismo y homofobia en los adolescentes de una institución educativa pública

<p>La investigación explora la relación entre sexismo y homofobia en adolescentes de una institución educativa pública de Chimbote. El diseño de investigación fue descriptivo-correlacional con una muestra de 406 estudiantes, varones y mujeres de 1° a 5° grado de nivel secundaria. Fueron evaluados con la Escala de Detección de Sexismo de Ramos, Cuadrado y Recio (2007) adaptación de Acosta (2010) y la Escala de Homofobia moderna de Raja y Stokes (2005) adaptación de Paredes (2013). Los resultados de la investigación refleja una relación muy significativa, directa y fuerte que indica que a mayor sexismo en los adolescentes, mayores son las actitudes homofóbicas que puedan mostrar. Para sexismo hostil y homofobia hacia gay se obtiene una correlación de (<em>r</em>=.641<sup>**</sup> p<.01) y hacia lesbianas (<em>r</em>=.658<sup>**</sup> p<.01); entre sexismo benévolo y homofobia hacia gay (<em>r</em>=.574<sup>**</sup> p<.01) y hacia lesbianas (<em>r</em>=.646<sup>**</sup> p<.01). Se identifica niveles de sexismo, según género, un nivel alto de sexismo hostil y benévolo para la población masculina con un 14.1% y 15.7% respectivamente. También se encuentra niveles de homofobia, según género, en adolescentes hacia personas gay y lesbianas con un 35.3% y 25.3% respectivamente.</p>

PS-01-001 Transphobia and homophobia levels in gender dysphoric individuals, general population and health care providers

PS-01-001 Transphobia and homophobia levels in gender dysphoric individuals, general population and health care providers

Attitudes of Heterosexual Men and Women Toward HIV Negative and Positive Gay Men

ABSTRACT Attitudes of Italian heterosexual men and women toward gay men, both HIV positive and negative, are poorly investigated. Italian culture is still extremely conservative and provides limited support to the gay community (e.g., lack of same-sex marriage recognition). Consequently, gay men experience social exclusion and disparities. The present study explores the association between homophobia and closeness with sexual orientation and HIV status. 261 heterosexual Italian men and women were assessed for feelings of closeness and homophobia after reading a vignette where the character was C1: heterosexual and HIV negative; C2: gay and HIV negative; or C3: gay and HIV positive. Experiences of homophobia and closeness varied depending on gender of participant and condition assigned, and higher levels of homophobia were correlated with lower levels of closeness regardless of HIV status. Implications and future directions are discussed.

When Do Voters Support the European Union’s Involvement in Gay Rights?

Commitment to the European Union’s gay rights standards remains weak in new EU members and countries applying for EU membership. If the EU’s standards have minimal consequences, then when do voters support the EU’s involvement in gay rights? The existing research misses a comparison of opinions between those who identify with gay people, and those who do not. Sexuality-based marginalization carried out by state institutions (political homophobia) motivates those who identify with gay people to support alternatives to their state’s authority. Using an original survey of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I find that those who identify more closely with gay people are more likely to support transferring control of gay rights to the EU. Using twenty-one surveys of EU member states, I find that in countries with high levels of political homophobia, those who report discrimination on the basis of sexuality exhibit higher levels of support for the EU.

Propuesta curriculares para la formación inicial del profesorado de Educación Secundaria en la atención a las diversidades sexuales y la prevención de la homofobia

Consistent with the high levels of homophobia found among Secondary Education students, the results of the few studies that have evaluated teacher training in these issues point to significant initial formative deficiencies of the future teaching staff in the attention to the sex education and prevention of homophobia. Given these results, the present article formulates a series of curricular proposals for the initial formation of the teachers in these questions from the analysis of the initial formation that they receive in the Master of Secondary.

Sexismo y actitudes hacia la homosexualidad, la bisexuaidad y la transexualidad en estudiantes de Trabajo Social mexicanos

El sexismo y las actitudes hostiles hacia las personas que difieren del modelo heteronormativo (gay, lesbianas, bisexuales, transexuales, transgénero e intersexuales) son consecuencia del fenómenos socio-culturales como el patriarcado y el heterocentrismo. El calado de este tipo de actitudes en el Trabajo Social es un elemento favorecedor de la revictimización de los usuarios. No existiendo investigaciones que analicen de forma conjunta la homofobia, bifobia y transfobia en el estudiantado de Trabajo Social se plantea una investigación cuantitativa con el objetivo de identificar si existen dichas actitudes en el estudiantado de esta disciplina en México. Así como identificar si dichas actitudes están relacionadas entre sí y respecto al sexismo ambivalente. Para ello se han aplicado diversas escalas en formato liket que analizan sendas actitudes a 120 estudiantes de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Los resultados evidencian niveles medios de sexismo, homofobia, bifobia y transfobia, siendo determinantes las variables relativas al sexo, edad, religión y nivel formativo. En base a estos resultados se considera necesario incluir contenidos de género y diversidad sexual en los planes formativos de la titulación de Trabajo Social.

Exploring Homophobia in Tbilisi, Georgia

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study is to determine statistical predictors of homophobic attitudes among the residents of Tbilisi, Georgia. We analyze 2013 survey data from a representative sample of the Tbilisi adult population. Residents were asked about their attitudes, beliefs, and political and social values in the context of the May 17, 2013 attack on LGBT activists on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT). Findings show that homophobia is significantly predicted by male gender, lower levels of education, acceptance of social inequality, nonliberal attitudes, and perceiving homosexuals as a “threat to national security.” However, psychological perceptions and personal experiences also indirectly influence homophobic attitudes: the findings suggest that males report homophobic attitudes more often than females do and tend to be even more homophobic when they believe that homosexuality is inborn rather than acquired. The study also found that people without liberal attitudes tend to be more homophobic when they have personal contacts with homosexuals. This article highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to education and the promotion of liberal values as well as legal equality for LGBTQ individuals to decrease the level of homophobia in Georgian society and, specifically, in Tbilisi.

Cross-cultural and socio-demographic correlates of homophobic attitude among university students in three European countries.

The aim of this study was to investigate homophobic attitudes in three European countries: Italy, Albania, and Ukraine. One thousand and forty-eight students were recruited in Italian (n=766), Albanian (n=180), and Ukrainian (n=102) university centers. A socio-demographic questionnaire and Homophobia Scale (HS) were administered by our staff. Cross-cultural and significant differences among Italian, Albanian, and Ukrainian students were found on the Homophobia Scale (HS; Italy: mean=22.26±16.73; Albania: mean=38.15±17.28; Ukraine: mean=59.18±16.23). The analysis of socio-demographic characteristics revealed that the male gender emerged as main predictor of homophobic attitude in all the three countries, although also a conservative political orientation and the religious belief predict higher homophobia levels in Italy and Albania, particularly. This study revealed that in these European countries assessed, attitudes toward homosexuality are different. Ukrainians display higher levels of homophobia than Albanians and Italians, confirming the central role of cultural differences in homophobic attitudes. Nevertheless, some socio-demographic aspects such as identification as male have a similar influence on homophobic attitudes in all assessed populations.

Who has the worst attitudes toward sexual minorities? Comparison of transphobia and homophobia levels in gender dysphoric individuals, the general population and health care providers.

To date, few studies have addressed attitudes toward transgender individuals. In addition, little is known about health care providers' (HCP) attitudes toward sexual minorities. The aim of the present study is to compare attitudes toward homosexual and transgender individuals between gender dysphoric individuals (GDs), general population controls (C) and HCP. A total of 310 subjects were considered, including 122 GDs (63 transwomen and 59 transmen), 53 heterosexual HCP (26 males and 27 females) and 135 C. Participants completed the Modern Homophobia Scale (MHS) and the Attitudes Toward Transgendered Individuals Scale (ATTI) in order to assess attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women and toward transgender individuals, respectively. In addition, GDs completed the Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire (GIDYQ-AA) and ATTI to measure, respectively, gender dysphoria levels and internalized transphobia. Religious attitudes were evaluated by means of the Religious Fundamentalism Scale (RFS), and Discrimination and Stigma Scale (DISC-12) was used to measure perceived discrimination. (1) Men showed significantly higher levels of homophobia and transphobia when compared to women (p<0.001); (2) perceived discrimination was higher in lesbian women compared to gay men and in transwomen compared to transmen (p<0.001 and p<0.05, respectively); and (3) religious fundamentalism was associated with both homophobia and transphobia (both p<0.001). Our results underline the need to promote awareness and acceptance of the sexual minorities, who are more at risk of discriminatory attitudes, which are strongly dependent on religious precepts and dogma.

The Effect of an LGBTQ Themed Literary Instructional Unit on Adolescents’ Homophobia

Numerous scholarly works extol the use of LGBTQ themed literature as part of English language arts instruction with the implication that its use may improve the school climate for LGBTQ students; however, there is a dearth of research that empirically examines whether or not this type of instruction measurably impacts adolescents’ homophobia. To address this paucity, this study examined the ability of a dialogically organized, reader response–based instructional unit of the young adult novel Geography Club to reduce adolescents’ homophobia. A quasi-experimental design was used with eighth grade students in seven English language arts classes. Homophobia was measured using a researcher-created scale. Analysis of pretests revealed that girls had lower levels of homophobia than boys and that Black students had higher levels of homophobia than Hispanic students. Posttest results indicated that the intervention was successful in lowering homophobia. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three factor solution: Interpersonal Homophobia, Attitudes toward Homophobia, and Sexuality as a Choice. Post-hoc tests revealed differing effect sizes for the aforementioned factors as well as showing that there was no backlash to treatment in participants with high pretest homophobia. This paper argues that schools and teacher education programs should make a serious effort to incorporate LGBTQ themed texts into curricula as part of a concerted effort to reduce the culture of homophobic violence that has become institutionalized in many schools.

The Nation and the Family: The Impact of National Identification and Perceived Importance of Family Values on Homophobic Attitudes in Lithuania and Scotland.

The meanings attached to the nation can be consequential for group members’ attitudes and beliefs. We examined how national identity definition can influence the extent of individuals’ homophobia with 159 Lithuanian and 176 Scottish university students who completed a questionnaire which measured their national identification, homophobia, and the extent to which they felt traditional family values were central to their nation’s identity. Consistent with nation-wide differences in the significance given to the family, Lithuanian participants perceived family values to be more important for their national identity and expressed higher levels of homophobia than did Scottish participants. Moreover, the relationship between level of national identification and homophobia was stronger in Lithuania than in Scotland. Analyses revealed that the perceived importance of family values helped explain the difference between homophobia levels in Lithuania and Scotland. In both sites we found an indirect effect of national identification on homophobia via the perceived importance of family values, but this effect was significantly stronger for Lithuanian participants. These findings illustrate the ways in which identification with the nation is relevant to attitudes concerning sexuality, and how this varies according to national context. Our work indicates that LGBT rights campaigns should be informed by the knowledge that homophobia may be perpetuated by national valorisation of the family.

Knowledge, Stereotyped Beliefs and Attitudes Around HIV Chemoprophylaxis in Two High HIV Prevalence Neighborhoods in New York City.

HIV chemoprophylaxis (PrEP/PEP) has emerged as a transformative prevention tool to reduce infection rates and decrease disease burden. However, uptake is low, and efficacy depends upon adherence. To maximize impact, potential barriers to uptake and adherence must be identified and understood. Using univariate and logistic regression analytic methods, we assessed associations among potential barriers to uptake and adherence, including HIV chemoprophylaxis knowledge, negative stereotyped beliefs about people who use it and negative attitudes towards HIV chemoprophylaxis use by relatives among 583 residents of two high HIV prevalence neighborhoods in New York City. About a quarter of respondents knew about HIV chemoprophylaxis and over 50% endorsed negative stereotyped beliefs about users; yet, approximately two-thirds had positive attitudes toward its use among a male or female relative. Young age, having lesbian or gay friends/family members and low levels of homophobia were associated with not endorsing negative stereotyped beliefs. Negative stereotyped beliefs were not associated with negative attitudes toward HIV chemoprophylaxis use among relatives. Implications for PrEP dissemination are discussed.

HP-03-008 Transphobia and homophobia levels in gender dysphoric individuals, general population and health care providers

To date,few studies have addressed attitudes toward transgender individuals. In addition, little is known about health care providers attitudes toward sexual minorities. The aims of the present study were to compare attitudes toward homosexual and transgender individuals between Gender Dysphoric individuals (GD), healthy controls (HC), and health care providers (HCP). A total of 304 subjects of similar age were considered, including 116 GD (59 transwomen and 57 transmen), 53 heterosexual HCP (26 males and 27 females) and 135 HC. Among the HC group, 38 males (hem-HC) and 40 females (hef-HC) reported exclusive heterosexuality and 28 males (ho-MHC) and 29 females (ho-FHC) homo- or bi-sexuality.Participants completed the Modern Homophobia Scale (MHS) and the Attitude Toward Transgendered Individuals Scale (ATTI) to assess attitudes towards gay, lesbians and transgender individuals, respectively. In addition, GD completed Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire (GIDYQ-AA) and a reverse form of ATTI to measure respectively GD and internalized transphobia. Religious attitudes were assessed with the Religious Fundamentalism Scale (RFS). Finally, discrimination and Stigma Scale (DISC-12) was used to measure perceived discrimination.

Homophobic Attitudes and Associated Factors Among Adolescents: A Comparison of Six Latin American Countries

ABSTRACTHomophobic attitudes are still very common in the world, although there are large differences between countries. This study analyzed the responses of almost 30,000 8th- and 9th-grade students from six countries who participated in the Latin American component of the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study. Higher levels of homophobia were found in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Paraguay than in Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. Homophobic attitudes were positively associated with being male, having lower levels of empathy, spending less time with friends and the media, having aggressive attitudes, and being more religious, in particular non-Catholic Christian.