Gender Differences in Anti-Gay Prejudice: Evidence for Stability and Change

In recent years, there has been remarkable change in societal acceptance of lesbians and gay men. This meta-analysis explored whether this positive shift has reduced the gender difference in these attitudes. We tested Kite and Whitley’s ( 1996 ) gender belief system model and replicated their finding that heterosexual men held more negative attitudes toward gay people ( g . = 0.37, k = 245, N = 98,295), gay behavior ( g. = 0.22, k = 68, N = 98,734), and gay civil rights ( g. = 0.16, k = 80, N = 89,187). We also found that heterosexual men were more likely to report engaging in anti-gay behavior ( g. = 0.53, k = 7, N = 2,509), endorsing gay stereotypes ( g. = 0.17, k = 17, N = 6,936), and wanting to avoid contact with gay men ( g. = 0.49, k = 7, N = 2,178). However, heterosexual women reported a stronger desire to avoid contact with lesbians than did heterosexual men ( g. = -0.36, k = 5, N = 1,339). For the most part, gender differences remained stable over time; the exceptions were attitudes toward same-gender sexual behavior and attitudes toward lesbian and gay civil rights, which showed small increases. Gender differences in anti-gay prejudice were mediated by gender differences in traditional gender-role beliefs. Moderator variables included participant group, type of measure, and target group.