Attitudes towards Gay/Lesbian Rights and Homosexuality Across Time and Countries

• In Event: 491 - Regular Session. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender

Abstract

Available evidence indicates that the position of gays and lesbians in societies and the legal status of homosexuality have undergone notable changes in recent decades. In some countries, attitudes have become much more supportive of gay/lesbian rights and more accepting of homosexual behavior. For example, in Great Britain the percent saying that sexual relations between two adults of the same gender was “always wrong” fell from 64% in 1987 to 22% in 2012) and in the United States approval of gay marriage climbed from 11% in 1988 to 48% in 2012. Collective behaviors have also changed. The legal status and rights of gays and lesbians have also expanded. For example, in 2000, the Netherlands became the first country to recognize gay marriage and by 2013, 15 countries plus sections of other countries had done so.
This research examines changes in public acceptance of homosexuality and gay rights across time and countries. It considers 1) what the trends have been and how changes vary across countries, 2) cross-national differences in support of homosexuality and gay rights and what country-level factors explain the cross-national variation, 3) demographic correlates of support for homosexuality/gay rights, 4) the connection of cohort differences to trends, and 5) the combined role of individual and country-level variables on shaping attitudes towards homosexuality.
Data from over 2,000 survey questions covering 50+ countries and up to 35 years are analyzed, including the Eurobarometers, European Social Survey, European Values Survey, Gallup World Poll, International Social Survey Program, and World Values Survey.

Author

• Tom W. Smith, NORC-University of Chicago