Australia's strong acceptance of gay men
In Summary
A new study has highlighted Australia’s strong acceptance of gay men.
Led by Swinburne University of Technology, the report, Support for gay men: An Australian study, surveyed 575 heterosexual people.
The study found that 87 per cent of Australians would support/ accept a male friend who is gay, while 65 per cent of respondents support gay men adopting and raising children effectively.
The study also found that 74 per cent of respondents supported gay marriage.
Lead researcher, Carly Copolov, said that these findings indicated that the Australian public had strong support for gay men, particularly among young and well-educated Australians.
“The average age of respondents surveyed was 25 years old and the majority of them had or were undergoing university education,” Ms Copolov said.
The respondents’ religious beliefs were also found to play a part in the respondent’s attitudes towards gay men.
“We found that those that practiced religion were significantly less likely to support gay men.’’
“This reflects studies that have been conducted overseas, which have shown that higher levels of positive beliefs about religion result in lower support for homosexual people.”
The study also highlighted that like in many countries overseas, Australian women are more likely to support gay men than males are.
Using an instrument developed specifically for the study, the study identified thirteen topics for inclusion in the survey, including marriage equality, adoption rights and discrimination against gay men working with children.
The findings of this report were published in Culture, Health & Sexuality: An International Journal for Research, Intervention and Care.
Join us in celebrating our deep and abiding commitment to a diverse and inclusive culture at Pride @ Swinburne Day on Wednesday 7 October.