Social work students’ attitudes towards gay men and lesbians in Namibia : results from an exploratory study

This manuscript explores the attitudes towards gay men and lesbians of social work students in Namibia. While previous published research has explored social work students’ attitudes towards this population in numerous international contexts, no published research presents the perspectives of students within Southern Africa. Results presented are based on a sample of 193 undergraduate social work students in an accredited social work degree programme at a Namibian public university. Results indicate an overall low level of open and accepting attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. Using both bivariate and multivariate analyses, the findings indicate that females, students from Namibia, students who know someone identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) and those who attend religious affiliations less often are more accepting of gay men and lesbians. Suggestions for addressing high levels of negative attitudes towards gay men and lesbians are addressed in terms of curricular integration and increasing opportunities for student exposure to LGBT populations.