HOMOPHOBIA: Effects on Heterosexuals

Video Extracts  A series of short extracts from various television programmes over the years discussing changes in the law. They reveal the personal homophobia of several individuals.

PSYCHOLOGICAL  Do not internalise stigmatised (inferior) sexual identity – internalise superior sexual identity resulting in higher self esteem  (But may have internalised stigmatised identity in relation to race, gender, disability, class…)  Not dealing with demons of homophobia during adolescence, not question ‘who am I?’ in relation to sexual orientation –get on with‘being straight’ - developing social skills, relationship skills, communication skills, get on with education/exams  Affects attitudes and behaviour

ATTITUDES  1983: 50% of adults surveyed believed sexual relationships between people of same-sex always wrong  1985: 59% (AIDS)  1989: 58%  1992: –41% always wrong between two men –37% always wrong between two women –23% ok between stable gay/lesbian couple  2008: 36% thought homosexual acts were always or mostly wrong

Shire Professional (2009)  60 people years  Tested on attitudes towards age, ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation  Main prejudice sexual orientation –7% strongly anti-gay –3% anti-lesbian  A further 35% anti-gay predilection  A further 41% anti-lesbian prejudice  These negative implicit attitudes were stronger than those for age, gender, religion, disability and ethnic origin 28% prejudice against Asian people 25% against Black people 17% against South East Asian people

Shire Professional “…it’s likely that those participants with a very strong homophobic attitude would routinely behave in a discriminatory way.”

PEOPLE WITH MORE HOMOPHOBIC VIEWS  Less personal contact with LGs  Believed in conservative religious ideology  Held traditional views about sex roles  More likely to: –Have grown up in rural area –Be older –Be less well-educated  Men  Live outside London  Social classes A/B and D/E  Uneducated  Tory voters  Older  Times/Telegraph/Mail readers  Church of England

BELIEFS = BEHAVIOUR = One extreme: Less Powerful People  HHC is prevalent all over the UK (remember, so is hate crime based on race, gender, disability…)  Approximate levels experienced: All HHC35-75%55% Verbal30-70%45% Harassment10-35%17% Vandalism10-30%19% Physical5-25%12%

Things are getting better?  1998 ACTION research (15): –67% experienced  2001 GALYIC research (49): –55% in last 5 years 70% women 25% men  2008 Ten Years On (50): –76% experienced  2009 within space of 3 months: 5 GALYIC members attacked

BELIEFS = BEHAVIOUR = A second extreme Powerful People: Stopping Support 2004: Tory councillor tries to stop grant to GALYIC. Dec 1987: L.A. Tory leader, after watching film on safer sex said: “The film said how to avoid AIDS, but it did not say specifically stop being queer. It’s disgusting and diabolical. As a cure I would put 90% of them in the ruddy gas chamber. Are we going to keep letting these queers trade their filth up and down the country?” 2004: Tory councillor tries to stop grant to GALYIC. 1994: Dr Colin Newman, executive secretary of British Psychological Society said “By accepting a Section devoted to the study of lesbianism, the Society will be giving a public signal that it endorses behaviour which, by the biblical standards they personally seek to follow, is incompatible with their own standards of morality.” Took another 4 years to set up LGB section.

BELIEFS = BEHAVIOUR = a third extreme: Families & Friends  Most LGBTs experience pressure from family members/friends to conform to heterosexuality/gender roles  Usually a lot of verbal and psychological pressure and abuse, sometimes also physical and sexual abuse  If not conform, isolate/reject/refuse support  Recent US research highlights significant effects of parental rejection/non-acceptance

Mori Poll: Influences

Exercise  Hand out Personal Homophobia Questionnaire  Complete individually  Discuss findings in small group  Feedback