Measuring Global Attitudes Toward Homosexuality: A Critical Review of LGBT Indexes

Abstract

Currently, many of the western countries have made progress in safeguarding and protecting sexual and gender minorities, and the negative attitudes of people towards sexual and gender minorities have decreased. However, little data are available to analyze these changes globally and compare countries. Until recently, except for the World Values Survey (WVS), there were no global comparative data. Using a single question to assess attitudes towards homosexuality, these data have allowed comparisons of countries at different time points since the 1990s. In the European case, a more robust database, the Eurobarometer, has been developed. This is a regional comparative periodic effort, which now has been through several updates. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association has conducted some attitudinal studies that allow comparisons between countries about attitudes toward subgroups (gay men and lesbian versus transgender). The most recent addition to this armamentarium is the Global Acceptance Index (GAI). This index has data for 174 countries and was constructed from cross-national, global and regional survey data on attitudes toward lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and rights. The index consolidates data from 1981 to today from 10 sources, making it the most comprehensive index available to compare countries in their progress regarding attitudes towards sexual and gender minorities. This chapter critically analyzes the characteristics, scope and limitations of these data to aid decision-making regarding which data are most appropriate and pertinent to describe countries in terms of their attitudes and which data allow global comparisons to be made.

Appendices

Appendices

1.1 Appendix 1: Survey Question Wordings

Barometer	Questions
Afrobarometer	(1) For each of the following types of people, please tell me whether you would like having people from this group as neighbours, dislike it, or not care. Homosexuals?
America’s Barometer	(1) ¿Con qué firmeza aprueba o desaprueba que los homosexuales puedan postularse para cargos públicos? (2) ¿Con qué firmeza aprueba o desaprueba que las parejas del mismo sexo puedan tener el derecho a casarse? (3) ¿Podría decirme si no le gustaría tener homosexuales como vecinos? Los entrevistados deben responder al siguiente enunciado “Aprueba que parejas del mismo sexo puedan tener derecho a casarse.”
Eurobarometer	About sexual orientation: To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? (1) “Gay, lesbian and bisexual people should have the same rights as heterosexual people.” (2) “There is nothing wrong in a sexual relationship between two persons of the same sex.” (3) “Same sex marriages should be allowed throughout Europe.” (4) And using a scale from 1 to 10, please tell me how you would feel about having someone from each of the following categories in the highest elected political position in OUR COUNTRY. A homosexual. (5) Regardless of whether you are actually working or not, please tell me, using a scale from 1 to 10, how comfortable you would feel if one of your colleagues at work belonged to each of the following groups? ‘1’ means that you would feel, “not at all comfortable” and ‘10’ that you would feel “totally comfortable” with a gay, lesbian or bisexual person. (6) Regardless of whether you have children or not, please tell me, using a scale from 1 to 10, how comfortable you would feel if one of your children was in a love relationship with a person from each of the following groups. 1 means that you would feel, “not at all comfortable” and 10 that you would feel “totally comfortable.
	About identity of gender: (1) Using a scale from 1 to 10, please tell me how you would feel about having a person from each of the following groups in the highest elected political position in (OUR COUNTRY). ‘1’ means that you would feel “not at all comfortable” and ‘10’ that you would feel “totally comfortable”: A transgender or transsexual person. (2) Regardless of whether you are actually working or not, please tell me, using a scale from 1 to 10, how comfortable you would feel if one of your colleagues at work belonged to each of the following groups? ‘1’ means that you would feel, “not at all comfortable” and ‘10’ that you would feel “totally comfortable”: A transgender or transsexual person. (3) Regardless of whether you have children or not, please tell me, using a scale from 1 to 10, how comfortable you would feel if one of your children was in a love relationship with a person from each of the following groups. ‘1’ means that you would feel, “not at all comfortable” and ‘10’ that you would feel “totally comfortable”: A transgender or transsexual person. (4) Do you think that transgender or transsexual persons should be able to change their civil documents to match their inner gender identity?
European Social Survey	(1) To what extent do you agree or disagree...[that] gay men and lesbians should be free to live their own life as they wish?
European Values Survey /Latinobarometro / World Values Survey	(1) On this list are various groups of people. Could you please mention any that you would not like to have as neighbors? Homosexuals (2) “Please tell me whether you think if Homosexuality it can always be justified, never be justified, or something in between.”
Gallup World Poll	(1) Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender? (2) Is the city or areas where you live a good place or not a good place to live for gay or lesbian people? (3) Do you think homosexual relations between consenting adults should or not should be legal? (4) Do you think marriages between same-sex couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages? (5) “In terms of policies governing public restrooms, do you think these policies should: require transgender individuals to use the restroom that corresponds with their birth gender (or should these policies) allow transgender individuals to use the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity?” (6) “Do you have any friends or relatives or coworkers who have told you, personally, that they are gay or lesbian?” Affirmations: (1) “Homosexuals should be hired for the occupation of elementary school teachers.” (2) “Have a friend or close acquaintance who is gay or lesbian.” (3) “Marriages between same-sex relations should be recognized as valid.” (4) “Homosexual relations are not wrong.”
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)	About sexual orientation: (1) “Do you personally know someone who is romantically or sexually attracted to people of the same sex?” (2) “Equal rights and protections should be applied to everyone, including people who are romantically or sexually attracted to people of the same sex.” (3) “All workers, including those who are romantically or sexually attracted to people of the same sex, should be protected from workplace discrimination.” (4) “People who engage in romantic or sexual relationships with people of the same sex should be charged as criminals.” (5) If you had a female neighbor who you know had romantic and sexual relationships with other women, you would: “Affirm and support,” “Accept as is,” “Spend less time with,” “Publicly distance yourself” and “Try to change them.” (6) If you had a male neighbor who you know had romantic and sexual relationships with other men, you would: “Affirm and support,” “Accept as is,” “Spend less time with,” “Publicly distance yourself” and “Try to change them.” (7) “How comfortable are you socializing with people who are openly romantically or sexually attracted to people of the same sex?” (8) “It is possible to respect my religion and be accepting of people who are romantically or sexually attracted to people of the same sex.” About identity of gender: (1) Do you know someone who dresses, acts, or identifies as one sex although they were born as another? (2) Equal rights and protections should be applied to everyone, including people who dress, act or identify as one sex although they were born as another. (3) “All workers, including those who dress, act or identify as one sex although they were born as another, should be protected from workplace discrimination.” (4) “Adults who dress, act or identify as one sex although they were born as another should be granted full legal recognition of the identity they declare.” (5) “If you believe your neighbour is one sex, but they dress, act or identify as another, you would: “Affirm and support,” “Accept as is,” “Spend less time with,” “Publicly distance yourself” and “Try to change them.” (6) How comfortable are you socializing with people who openly dress, act, or identify as another sex from the one in which they were born? (7) “It is possible to respect my religion and be accepting of people who dress, act or identify as one sex although they were born as another.”
The Pew Global Surveys	(1) “Homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society.” (2) “Homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society? (Should or should not”) (3) “Homosexuality is a way of life that should be discouraged by society (should or should not).”
Ipsos International	(1) Is someone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender a real country’s demonym? (2) “Gay men and lesbians should be free to live their own life as they wish.”
General Social Survey	(1) “What about sexual relations between two adults of the same sex, do you think it is always wrong, almost always wrong, wrong only sometimes, or not wrong at all? (2) “Do you think marriage between same-sex couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages? (3) “Do you think gays or lesbians should or should not be hired for each of the following occupations: salesperson, doctors, the armed forces, elementary school teachers, clergy?” (4) “Do you have any friends, relatives or coworkers who have told you, personally, that they are gay or lesbian?”

1.2 Appendix 2: Characteristics of the LGBT Surveys Discussed

Global surveys	Years	Waves	Number of respondents	Geographic coverage
Global Acceptance Index	1981–2020	–	7,059,822	175 countries
World Values Survey (WVS)	1981–2020	7	423,940	Global
ILGA-RIWI Global Attitudes Survey	2017	–	116,000	75 countries
Continental Surveys
Afrobarometer	1999–2018	7	54,000	36 African countries
Eurobarometer	1993–2019	7	27,438	28 European countries (all respondents are LGBT)
European Values Survey (part of WVS)	1981–2017	6	50,000	20 countries
Latinobarómetro	1995–2018	21	20,240	18 Latin American countries
Country Surveys
Global Attitudes Survey (Pew Research)	2002–2019	--	38,429	34 countries
Americas Barometer (Latin American Public Opinion Project)	2004–2018	8	41,000	26 Central and South American countries
Gallup World Poll	2006–2017	6	340,000	USA
General Social Survey	1972–2018	32	64,104	42 countries