Why are lesbians more accepted than gays? A study examining 23 countries explains
Public attitudes towards sexual minorities are changing around the world, yet differences in acceptance of gays and lesbians remain significant. Research on attitudes towards non-heterosexual men and women in 23 countries found that "gays are more unpopular than lesbians in every country". This trend is evident both in the West and in many non-Western countries.
Gender norms play a key role
The study links the different attitudes towards lesbians and gays to how different societies perceive gender norms - expectations of what is "right" behaviour for men and women. These norms, according to the research authors, support a heteronormative system in which heterosexuality is seen as natural and the only desirable thing.
"We found that gay men are more unpopular than lesbians in all countries tested," the authors say. This, they say, is related to the fact that gay men's lives violate traditional masculine norms - that is, the idea of the male role as strong, dominant and heterosexual. Lesbians, on the other hand, tend to be seen as less confrontational, sometimes even objectified by the male gaze, which can paradoxically facilitate their social acceptance.
Men are more likely to be the ones who reject
An interesting finding is that prejudice against gay men is more often associated with men than with women. In most of the countries studied, it was men who judged gay men more negatively, while women showed higher levels of tolerance. The exceptions were Poland, Hungary and Russia, where women also showed significantly negative attitudes towards gay men.
Differences between the West and the East
In Western countries such as the Netherlands, the more liberal a society is about gender non-conformity, the more positive the attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people. In the US, for example, students supporting 'traditional gender arrangements' were more likely to express negative views about gays and lesbians.
However, in Eastern countries such as China and India, something else has emerged: people who strongly believe in traditional gender roles may paradoxically be more tolerant of homosexuality. The authors speculate that in these cultures, gender norms and homosexuality are perceived as "Western" phenomena, and therefore people with a pro-Western orientation accept both concepts simultaneously.
Homophobia on a global scale
The study also points out that the degree of homophobia varies considerably from country to country. Russia showed the lowest level of positive attitudes towards sexual minorities, with almost two-thirds of people perceiving the LGBTQ+ community as a threat to "traditional values". In contrast, countries such as Argentina, Australia, Canada and Sweden are the most open.
What this means for the future
The differential acceptance of lesbian and gay people highlights a deeper problem - rigid gender norms and their impact on the social climate. While women who violate traditional gender expectations may be perceived as less threatening, men who do so face stronger resistance.
The authors of the study therefore call for further research and a rethinking of how we understand gender and sexuality in Western societies. If we want to achieve true equality for LGBTQ+ people, it is not enough to push for legislative changes - we also need to work with cultural ideas of what it means to be a 'proper' man or woman.
