Tolerance Of Homosexuality Research Articles

Tolerance of Homosexuality in South American Countries: A Multilevel Analysis of Related Individual and Sociocultural Factors

Objectives: This study examines the effect of some factors at individual and aggregated level on tolerance of homosexuality (TOH) in some South American countries. Method: The study performs a multilevel analysis of individual and sociocultural factors related to TOH. Results: Belonging to a religion and the importance it acquires are negative predictors of higher TOH. In addition, people living in more postmaterialistic countries show stronger TOH. However, people who give more importance to religion in more postmaterialistic countries reject homosexuality even more intensively. Conclusions: Socioeconomic development is closely related to religious people's tolerance of homosexuality in South American countries.

“Somewhere over the rainbow”

Abstract Somewhere over the rainbow: Reality, still a dream, or something between? The legal and social climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals varies across countries. The Netherlands, for example, is known worldwide for its liberal and tolerant climate regarding LGBT people; other nations have less tolerant attitudes and some even penalize homosexuality. But even in the Netherlands, a substantial proportion of the population has the opinion that a child needs a mother and a father for healthy psychological development, and a large percentage disapproves of adoption rights and public expressions of intimacy for same-sex couples. As a consequence, the Netherlands could be described as a society that values the tolerance of homosexuality, while also endorsing heteronormative beliefs. It is in this heteronormative society that children and adolescents are confronted with assumptions that their parents should consist of a mother and a father who identify as heterosexual and who view their gender in binary terms (i.e., female or male). It is also a society in which young sexual minority and gender nonconforming youth are growing up. Less is known about how the health and well-being of sexual minority and gender nonconforming parents and the offspring who are born and raised in these families are influenced by the assumptions of heteronormative society as well as what growing up in such a society means for these youth. In mine Chair position within the Department of Child Development and Education of the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences I will concentrate on sexual and gender diversity in families and youth by encompassing research and education on (1) lesbian, gay, and transgender parenthood, and (2) sexual minority and gender nonconforming youth. In this slightly edited version of my inaugural lecture I describe why it is especially important to focus on protective factors and resiliency in lesbian, gay, and transgender families and in sexual minority and gender nonconforming youth.

The Effects of Media Use and Traditional Gender Role Beliefs on Tolerance of Homosexuality in China

Using the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) data collected in 2015, this study investigates the effects of traditional media use and Internet use on tolerance of homosexuality, and the extent to which traditional gender role beliefs can moderate these effects. The results show that, while Internet use had a positive effect on tolerance of homosexuality, exposure to traditional media was likely to inhibit such tolerance. Moreover, traditional gender role beliefs are found to be able to undermine the liberalizing effect of Internet use on tolerance of homosexuality. The implications of the findings for understanding attitudes toward homosexuality in China are discussed.

Tolerance of Homosexuality in 88 Countries: Education, Political Freedom, and Liberalism

Researchers have repeatedly found a positive correlation between education and tolerance. However, they may be victims of an unrepresentative sample containing only rich Western liberal democracies, where political agendas have a liberalizing effect on curricula. In this paper, we specify the relationship between education and liberal attitudes by analyzing data on educational attainment and tolerance of homosexuality (one dimension of liberalism) drawn from a heterogeneous sample of 88 countries over the period 1981–2014. We argue that nonliberal political agendas in some countries undermine the supposed universality of the positive relationship between educational attainment and tolerance of homosexuality. In relatively free countries, education is indeed associated with greater tolerance. However, in relatively unfree countries, education has no effect on tolerance and in some cases encourages intolerance. Specifically, our analysis demonstrates that education is associated with tolerance of homosexuality only when regimes energetically promote liberal‐democratic values. The larger theoretical point is that the agendas of political regimes shape civic values partly via education systems. Especially in an era when democracy is at risk in many countries, it is important to recognize that education is not always a benign force.

Effects of Gay-Themed Advertising among Young Heterosexual Adults from U.S. and South Korea

Little research has been conducted to explain the effects of gay-themed advertising in a cross-cultural context. Such research has been particularly scarce in South Korea. This study is designed to investigate the effects of cultural orientation, gender, and types of gay-themed advertising in evaluation of gay male and female lesbian print ads. The study results indicate that Korean college students (i.e., collectivists) had lower tolerance of homosexuality than did U.S. college students (i.e., individualists). The study also finds that gender-role beliefs lead males to have lower tolerance of homosexuality. However, gender did not have statistically significant impacts on advertising and brand evaluation. Lastly, the study also found that lesbian imagery print ads could lead to greater tolerance of homosexuality and more favorable evaluations of the advertising and brand than could gay male imagery print ads. The current study sheds some light on the characteristics of U.S. consumers and Korean consumers on tolerance of homosexuality and gay-themed ads. Limitations and areas for further research are discussed.

Christian visions of homosexuality: new debates of old churches

The article is devoted to the study of the relationship between the processes of erosion of the traditional norm vs deviation matrix in the public consciousness and changes in the position of Christian denominations and churches, new tendencies in theological research, canon law, social work, pastoral practice.
 The purpose of the work is to characterize the processes of diversification of Christian churches for their attitude towards homosexuality under the pressure of changes in the structure of social deviations and the liberalization of the Christian environment. The author defines the main types of historical stigma of homosexuality; characterizes changes in the public opinion of the population of traditionally Christian countries (based on the modern sociological studies); highlights the main innovations in the social doctrine and practice of various Christian denominations; and identifies the dominant trends in eastern and western Christianity in relation to homosexuality.
 It is substantiated that the contradiction between the official doctrine, the conservative position of the church hierarchy, on the one hand, and liberal tendencies in the public opinion of the secular community, on the other hand, are more or less common to all Christian denominations. The most difficult situation related the Roman Catholic Church, whose followers live in Western countries with a high level of tolerance for homosexuality. Under the pressure of changes in legal institutions, public morals and public opinion, the traditional Christian interpretation of homosexuality is filled with new connotations; changes were introduced in canon law, institute of spiritual education, other religious institutions; the church becomes more open to discuss problems that have long been taboo. Church policy and pastoral practice are based on the clear delineation of the concepts of "homosexuality", "acts of homosexuality", "homosexual inclinations", "homosexual intentions", "homosexual temptation", etc.
 It has been shown that despite the existing changes in rhetoric, canon law and church practice, the official position of churches is subject to constant critical attacks. Criticism refers not only to the "lack of" acts of homosexuality, the preservation of religious stigma of homosexuality as sin, the condemnation by the church of homosexual behavior, same-sex marriages and gay culture, but also the rooting of patterns of such behavior in monastic and priestly structures. An alternative to the official position of traditional Christian churches is the growing theological movement, which was called "Queer-Theology", which produces its own version of Christian anthropology.
 Processes of destroying of traditional structure of deviations in the globalized world, from one side, and processes of post-secularizing - from other, generate contradictory consequences for functioning of religious institutes; the palette of possible attitudes to homosexuality becomes complicated. Overall, the differently directed trends were done distinctly in western and east Christianity. In Catholicism, there are processes of liberalization of Christianity, the search for ways to adapt homosexuals to the religious environment, and in the problem field of Christian anthropology new theological interpretations of gender ethics are proposed. In the flow of Orthodoxy, especially of Russian, the fundamentalization and nationalization of Orthodoxy, the defense of the matrix of traditional values will preserve the religious stigma of homosexuality in the future.
 Research results can be drawn on in the courses of religious-studies and sociological disciplines; in research of the problems of social and religious deviation.
 Foreseeable assumptions about the development of the research object are finding the best ways to investigate the newest tendencies in attitude of Christian churches toward the social issues of the day; to provide comparative and cross-cultural analysis of processes of diversification of Christian environment.

Integrating Religious and Sexual Identities: The Case of Religious Homosexual Men in Singapore

The sexual and religious ecosystem in Singapore represents an intricate interplay of factors that religious homosexuals navigate to attain a well-adjusted personal identity. A qualitative research project was conducted to understand how Christian and Muslim homosexual men in Singapore integrate their religious and sexual identities. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine religious homosexuals to elicit responses on their dual-identity experience, and coping strategies. Narrative analysis revealed three themes (and a number of subthemes): (1) Intrapersonal factors (a personal journey, knowledge seeking, reinterpreting belief system, redemption by good deeds, and love prevails over sin), (2) Interpersonal factors (segregating social circles, involvement in the gay community, role models, and social support), and (3) Sociopolitical factors (state and societal tolerance of homosexuals, and homosexual events). Interestingly, the participants assigned positive attributes to being both religious and homosexual, and reported that embodying both identities was enriching than if they had possessed just one of the two identities. This suggests that integrating positive psychological frameworks (e.g., stress-related growth) to existing ones may provide a more holistic account of identity integration among religious homosexuals.

Social Desirability Bias and Social Tolerance: A Monte Carlo Simulation Analysis

This paper investigates whether the effect of education on social tolerance is consistently positive across different time periods. Since the number of students in higher education has been increasing for the past decades in the U.S., the effect of education on social tolerance may have changed. Using the data from General Social Survey (GSS) 1977 ~ 2012 and hierarchical age-period-cohort models, the results of this study show that: (1) people with more education express more social tolerance for homosexuality and homosexual acceptance; (2) the effect of education on social tolerance for homosexuality has been continuously increasing over time; and (3) the effect of education on social tolerance for homosexual acceptance is small, but is still positive over time periods. People in the U.S. have become more tolerant of homosexuality and homosexual acceptance, and younger generations have been shown to be more open to homosexual acceptance and more tolerant than older generations. Liberal religious and political views are positively associated with homosexuality and homosexual acceptance. Finally, using a Monte Carlo simulation and a comparison between the simulation and OLS results, this paper also finds that social desirability bias influences individuals' social tolerance for homosexuality and homosexual acceptance. Social desirability bias decreases the estimate of education on homosexuality and homosexual acceptance.

Attitudes Toward Homosexuality in China: Exploring the Effects of Religion, Modernizing Factors, and Traditional Culture

ABSTRACTUsing the zero-inflated model and nationally representative sample data from the Chinese General Social Surveys 2013, this study systematically explored the effects of religion, modernizing factors, and traditional culture on attitudes toward homosexuality in China. The findings indicate that most Chinese people generally hold conservative attitudes toward homosexuality, as approximately 78.53% of the respondents believed that “same-sex sexual behavior is always wrong.” Modernizing factors (i.e., education, exposure to Internet information, and liberal inclinations) predicted greater tolerance for homosexuality, whereas Islamic beliefs negatively influenced respondents’ attitudes toward homosexuality. In contrast to the findings of the existing literature, Christian beliefs and traditional culture did not have significant effects on attitudes toward homosexuality. These findings may contribute to the literature by not only quantitatively testing the applicability of several factors identified in most Western studies of this topic but also providing new knowledge of attitudes toward homosexuality in the social context of China.

Victimisation and life satisfaction of gay and bisexual individuals in 44 European countries: the moderating role of country-level and person-level attitudes towards homosexuality

We examined the link between victimisation and life satisfaction for 85,301 gay and bisexual individuals across 44 European countries. We expected this negative link to be stronger when the internalised homonegativity of the victim was high (e.g. because the victim is more vulnerable) and weaker when victimisation occurs in countries that express intolerance towards homosexuality (e.g. because in such contexts victims expect victimisation more and they attribute it to their external environment). Additionally, we expected internalised homonegativity to relate negatively to life satisfaction. Multilevel analyses revealed that victimisation (i.e. verbal insults, threats of violence, minor or major physical assaults) and internalised homonegativity were negatively related to life satisfaction. Furthermore, as we expected, the negative link between victimisation and life satisfaction was stronger when high internalised homonegativity was reported (and the interaction effect occurred for verbal insults and major assaults as outcome variables), while it was weaker when there was low national tolerance of homosexuality (and the interaction effect occurred for verbal insults and for minor assaults). Future research and social policy should consider how the consequences of victimisation are dependent on personal as well as national attitudes towards homosexuality.

Waiting for the real dragon

Southeast Asia is the world’s most diverse and rapidly modernizing region, yet one where modernization theory is challenged (e.g. Bell et al., 1995) and where allegiance to authoritarian regimes appears trenchant (Chang et al., 2013; Dalton and Shin, 2014). Using the AsiaBarometer, I consider the influence of modernization and allegiance on potential democratization by analyzing an established indicator of assertive change: tolerance of homosexuality (Inglehart and Welzel, 2005: Ch. 5, forthcoming). The findings reveal differences between Southeast Asians and the West and between citizens in the Sinic and Indic subregions. Exposure to foreign cultures produces a significant increase in tolerance among Sinicized citizens, but has no meaningful effect on those in Indic states. Patriotism and trust in civil society also boost tolerance among Sinicized citizens, but reduce the probability of tolerance among citizens in Indic states. The strong linkage between sexual tolerance and gender equality driven by social factors and secularism in the West does not manifest in Southeast Asia. While the findings suggest potential for change in the Sinicized region, they underscore the different effects that globalization and allegiance may have on citizens living under Southeast Asia’s variety of regimes.

Does tolerance matter? A comparative study of well-being of persons in same-sex and mixed-sex unions across nine European countries

ABSTRACTIn this study, we examine whether there is a well-being gap between persons in same-sex and mixed-sex unions. We consider the possible role that tolerance of homosexuality plays in the size of this gap by comparing these union types across nine European countries with varying levels of normative and legal tolerance (informal and formal institutional contexts, respectively). For social well-being, results indicate that the well-being gap indeed depends on both the informal and formal institutional contexts in a country. In intolerant societies, persons in same-sex unions have lower social well-being than persons in mixed-sex unions, whereas they fare slightly better in tolerant societies. We found that the normative dimension of tolerance matters more for the social well-being gap than the legal dimension. In line with our hypotheses, findings also show that men in same-sex couples are more affected by differences in the informal institutional context than women in same-sex couples. For depressive feelings, no significant joint effect of union type for either measure of tolerance was found. Overall, we demonstrate the theoretical usefulness of treating tolerance at the contextual level as a predictor of well-being by empirically testing the link between tolerance and well-being. We suggest considering intolerance also as a social problem on the country level, which is distinct from intolerance on the interpersonal level.

Same-Sex Marriage Attitudes During the Transition to Early Adulthood

Increasing support for same-sex marriage (SSM) is often explained as a consequence of rising tolerance of homosexuality across successive generations. This article argues that higher levels of SSM support among young people is also linked to their own emerging plans for couple and family formation. Panel data from 1,836 young Australians participating in the Social Futures and Life Pathways Project was used to analyze change in SSM attitudes between late adolescence (2008, aged 14/15 years) and early adulthood (2013, aged 19/20 years). During this period, the sample became less religious, more expectant of unmarried cohabitation, and more approving of SSM. Being male, living in outside a major city, not living with both biological parents, and being more religious were all associated with lower SSM support. Young people’s views on this issue developed in ways that were indicative of distinct (i.e., traditional vs. pragmatic) orientations toward intimate relationships formed earlier in adolescence.

Secular faith: how culture has trumped religion in American politics

When Pope Francis recently answered Who am I to judge? when asked about homosexuality, he ushered in a new era for the Catholic church. A decade ago, it would have been unthinkable for a pope to express tolerance for homosexuality. Yet shifts of this kind are actually common in the history of Christian groups. Within the United States, Christian leaders have regularly revised their teachings to match the beliefs and opinions gaining support among their members and larger society. Mark A. Smith provocatively argues that religion is not nearly the unchanging conservative influence in American politics that we have come to think it is. In fact, in the long run, religion is best understood as responding to changing political and cultural values rather than shaping them. Smith makes his case by charting five contentious issues in America's history: slavery, divorce, homosexuality, abortion, and women's rights. For each, he shows how the political views of even the most conservative Christians evolved in the same direction as the rest of society-perhaps not as swiftly, but always on the same arc. During periods of cultural transition, Christian leaders do resist prevailing values and behaviors, but those same leaders inevitably acquiesce-often by reinterpreting the Bible-if their positions become no longer tenable. Secular ideas and influences thereby shape the ways Christians read and interpret their scriptures. So powerful are the cultural and societal norms surrounding us that Christians in America today hold more in common morally and politically with their atheist neighbors than with the Christians of earlier centuries. In fact, the strongest predictors of people's moral beliefs are not their religious commitments or lack thereof but rather when and where they were born. A thoroughly researched and ultimately hopeful book on the prospects for political harmony, Secular Faith demonstrates how, over the long run, boundaries of secular and religious cultures converge.

Queer art in Vietnam: from closet to pride in two decades

AbstractMale and female artists in Vietnam from the early 1990s to the new millennium have contributed art that gives visibility to non-normative lifestyles that go against the traditional values espoused by national rhetoric. This article explores some of the first manifestations of queer art in contemporary Vietnam, outlining a short history of artworks that may be considered “queer” because of their subject matter, irrespective of whether they were made by straight or queer identified artists. Many of these artworks are not made in traditional media, or they break conventions in the local artistic canon. Frequently they have performative characteristics, an art form that arose in Vietnam in the 1990s, the beginning of the timeframe explored here. Photography, another medium not long or firmly established, is also extensively employed. The narrative attends specifically to the dissidence, in content or format, of selected artworks, and points to a correlation over time to an increased tolerance of homosexuality. This article is published as part of a thematic collection on gender studies.

Korea out of the closet: effects of gay-themed ads on young Korean consumers

ABSTRACTThis study examines the effects of gay-themed ads on young Korean consumers. In its evaluation of such ads, the study investigates how attitude toward ads, attitude toward brands, and purchase intention are influenced by gender (male vs. female), tolerance of homosexuality (low vs. high tolerance), and self-construal (independent vs. interdependent self-construal). Findings suggest that a gay-themed ad does not impact how young Korean heterosexual consumers evaluate the ad, the brand, or their purchase intention. Regarding brand evaluation and purchase intention, no statistically significant differences were found between males and females. Concerning a person's tolerance, those with high tolerance tend to evaluate the ads and brands more favorably and have higher purchase intentions than do those with low tolerance. Concerning a person's self-construal – independent versus interdependent – the study found no main effects but did discover interaction effects between gender and self-construal and between tolerance and self-construal. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

Chinese College Students’ Attitudes Toward Homosexuality: Exploring the Effects of Traditional Culture and Modernizing Factors

Using survey data of 494 college students from two universities in China, this study explores the effects of traditional culture (filial piety, parental attitudes toward homosexuality, and attitudes toward sexuality) and social changes accompanying modernization (intergroup contact and exposure to homosexuality in the media) on attitudes toward homosexuality as well as gay and lesbian people in China. This study finds that Chinese college students generally hold accepting attitudes toward homosexuality, although the extent of tolerance is limited, and is affected by various factors. Traditional cultural factors predict less tolerance for homosexuality and gay and lesbian people, whereas modernizing factors predict greater tolerance. Although both traditional and modernizing factors shape contemporary attitudes toward homosexuality in Chinese society, modernizing variables seem to have a greater impact. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

LG(BT) Families and Counting

AbstractCounting and understanding lesbian and gay families have gained attention over the last decade in popular culture, policy, and academic research. Contentious debates on family values and same‐sex marriage, increasing rates of social tolerance for homosexuality, and a greater general academic attention on issues of sexual orientation have partially spurred this attention in demographic analysis of lesbian and gay families. It is becoming increasingly clear that sexual orientation and gender identity have an effect on demographic processes and life outcomes. Although not perfect, practically speaking, drawing on nationally representative survey data has allowed us to illuminate the presence of same‐sex families and their children. These findings have an iterative relationship with social change, public policy, and increasing tolerance for diversity. This article reviews the recent demographic contributions related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) families. Due to research concentrations, the content of this article not only mostly addresses what is known about gay and lesbian families but also offers future directions to fill research voids including a call for greater attention to and visibility for families with bisexual and transgender members.

Time Period, Generational, and Age Differences in Tolerance for Controversial Beliefs and Lifestyles in the United States, 1972–2012

Americans have become increasingly tolerant of controversial outgroups in results from the nationally representative General Social Survey (1972–2012, N = 35,048). Specifically, adults in the 2010s (versus the 1970s and 1980s) were more likely to agree that Communists, homosexuals, the anti-religious, militarists, and those believing Blacks are genetically inferior should be allowed to give a public speech, teach at a college, or have a book in a local library. Cross-classification hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses separating the effects of time period, cohort/generation, and age show that these trends were driven by both a linear time period effect and a curvilinear cohort effect, with those born in the late 1940s (Boomers) the most tolerant when age and time period were controlled. Tolerance of homosexuals increased the most, and tolerance of racists the least. The increase in tolerance is positively correlated with higher levels of education and individualistic attitudes, including rejecting traditional social rules, but is negatively correlated with changes in empathy.

Stirring the Hornet’s Nest: a Study of Student’s Awareness, Perception and Tolerance of Homosexuality in a Ghanaian University

Abstract Homosexuality has been and continues to be a contentious subject in many quarters across many disciplines. It has generated many debates around political, religious, socio-cultural as well as medical domains. This study sought to contribute to debates on the issue by examining the views of students in a Ghanaian public University. The main objectives of the study were to ascertain student’s level of awareness of homosexuality, analyze their perceptions and gauge their degree of tolerance of the practice. An exploratory design was employed for the study. A sample of 200 undergraduate students of the University for Development studies were selected with a multistage sample procedure. Data was collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire. The main findings of the study were that the levels of awareness among students were very high, their perceptions largely negative; so was their level of tolerance. Generally students found the practice abominable, illegal and intolerable. The study concluded that students’ perceptions go a long way in shaping public discourse and influence the general attitude of the larger population toward homosexuality. As such, great care should be taken to ensure that homophobic tendencies do not result into a national security crisis. Key recommendations are that state authorities must ensure that the law criminalizing homosexuality must be clearly articulated. Also, a national dialogue should be embarked upon with the view to taking a common, humane and culturally acceptable position on the practice of homosexuality, mindful of cultural, religious as well as human rights considerations. Key Words : Homosexuality, Students, Awareness, Perception, Tolerance, Culture, University