Author: George Yancey (University of North Texas)

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ABSTRACT

This paper explores the role of emotional warmth and dislike towards a variety of religious groups in the shaping of support of sexual minorities. Previous research indicates that hostility towards sexual minorities is linked to lower support for their rights. Theories of symbolic hostility, or favorability, suggest that emotional feelings towards religious groups may also influence support for the rights of sexual minorities. Regression models indicate that support or nonsupport of sexual minority rights are associated with attitudes towards religious groups even after controlling for attitudes towards sexual minorities as well as other social and demographic factors. While overall political ideology and attitudes towards sexual minorities have stronger relationships to support of sexual minorities’ rights, there is no denying the consistency of the finding of the impact of attitudes towards religious groups, especially those who dislike Christian fundamentalists. Emotional warmth or coolness towards Muslims, however, were not strongly associated with attitudes towards the rights of sexual minorities. Given the controls of emotional warmth or coolness towards sexual minorities, and the differential effects tied to Muslim dislike, these results suggest that part of support of sexual minorities is tied to whether a respondent dislikes conservative Christians.