Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Among Heterosexual Asians, Blacks, Latinos, and Whites

1
Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Among Heterosexual
Asians, Blacks, Latinos, and Whites
Nhan L. Truong, McNair Scholar, Stephen T.
Russell, Ph.D., Department of Human and Community
Development University of California, Davis
Abstract The present study explores attitudes
toward homosexuals among Asians, Blacks, Latinos,
and Whites in the U.S. using a cumulative file
(1972-1996) from the General Social Survey (GSS).
Only the years that contained complete sets of
variables of interest were included in the
analyses. Four variables measure attitudes
toward (1) same-sex sexual relations, (2)
homosexuals teaching in college, (3) removal of a
homosexual author's book from the public library,
and (4) homosexuals speaking in one's community.
Multiple regression analyses were performed to
compare Asians to other ethnic groups (Latinos,
Blacks, Whites, and other ethnicities) on their
opinions about same-sex sexual relations.
Logistic regression analyses were employed to
compare Asians to other ethnic groups on
attitudes concerning homosexuals teaching in
college, removal of a homosexual author's book,
and homosexuals speaking in a community. Findings
suggest that Asians have more negative attitudes
toward homosexuals than other ethnic groups.
Implications are discussed.

• Introduction
• Homophobia is a growing social problem
• Research on homophobia
• Based mostly on Whites

• Regression analysis
• Multiple regression
• Homosexual sexual relations item
• Logistic regression
• Civil liberty rights items
• Control demographic variables

Attitudes toward civil liberty rights for
homosexuals Asians as a reference group (Odds
ratio)

• Hypothesis
• Asians are expected to be less tolerant towards
  homosexuals than Latinos, Blacks, and Whites.

Sample by ethnicity (N)

• Literature
• AIDS and homophobia among Asians
• Cultural values among Asians
• Issue of sex and sexuality
• Emphasis on education

• Methodology
• General Social Survey
• Cumulative file from 1972-1996
• Measures of homophobia
• Civil liberty rights items
• Allowing homosexuals to teach in college
• Allowing homosexuals to speak in community
• Removal of homosexual authors book in library
• Homosexual sexual relations item
• Attitudes toward homosexual sexual relations

• Discussion
• Interplay of issues of sex and sexuality and
  other Asian values
• Asians less tolerant towards all measures.
• Limitations
• Small Asian sample
• Available data

• Results
• Asians less tolerant toward homosexuality than
  Blacks, Whites, and Latinos on all measures.

Attitudes toward homosexual sexual relations
Asians as a reference group (Standard beta
coefficient)

• Further research
• Acculturation
• Develop new measures on homophobia that are
  culturally relevant
• Role of education
• Importance of research on homophobia among ethnic
  minorities

Acknowledgements Stephen T. Russell, Ph.D.
General Social Survey McNair Scholars Program
Mentorship for Undergraduate Research in
Agriculture and Letters and Science National
Research Center for Asian American Mental Health