Black Heterosexuals' Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men in The

African American Heterosexuals' Attitudes 1 RUNNING HEAD: BLACK HETEROSEXUALS’ ATTITUDES Black Heterosexuals’ Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men in the United States Gregory M. Herek & John P. Capitanio Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis The research described in this paper was supported by grants to Gregory M. Herek from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH43253) and the University of California Universitywide AIDS Research Program (R90-D068). The authors thank Karen Garrett, Tom Piazza, and Linda Stork of the Survey Research Center, University of California at Berkeley, for their assistance throughout the project, and John Peterson for his comments on an earlier draft. Address correspondence to Gregory M. Herek, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616. The Journal of Sex Research, in press. Pre-Publication Draft Although various authors have commented Abstract on the existence of negative attitudes toward Although the direction and intensity of Black homosexuality in African American communities heterosexuals’ attitudes toward (e.g., Clarke, 1983; Dalton, 1989; Icard, 1985; homosexuality have been topics for Peterson, 1992), quantitative data describing considerable speculation, empirical data from Black heterosexuals’ attitudes toward representative samples previously have not homosexuality are scant. Empirical comparisons been available. The current article reports of Black and White heterosexuals’ attitudes are findings from a two-wave telephone survey similarly scarce in the research literature.1 with a national probability sample of 391 Knowledge about Black heterosexuals’ Black heterosexual adults. Results indicated attitudes is important for a variety of reasons. that negative attitudes toward homosexuality As a significant proportion of the U.S. public, are widespread, but do not appear to be more African Americans’ opinions are important for prevalent among Blacks than among Whites. shaping public policy. Furthermore, the Black Gender differences in Black heterosexuals’ population of the United States has experienced attitudes (men’s attitudes toward gay men extensive stigma and discrimination. Black were more negative than their attitudes heterosexuals’ attitudes toward gay people are toward lesbians or women’s attitudes toward theoretically interesting, therefore, because they gay men) appeared to result primarily from represent the reactions of one societal outgroup men’s greater tendency to regard male toward members of another, although the homosexuality as unnatural. The single most historical circumstances of the two groups have important predictor of attitudes was the differed markedly. In addition, Black gay men, attribution of choice to sexual orientation: lesbians, and bisexuals often simultaneously face Respondents who believed that homosexuality racial prejudice in the predominantly white gay is beyond an individual’s control expressed community and sexual prejudice in the significantly more favorable attitudes toward predominantly heterosexual African American gay men and lesbians than did respondents community (Loiacano, 1989; Peterson, 1992). who regarded homosexuality as a choice. Knowledge about the attitudes of heterosexual Consistent with previous research in Blacks is important, therefore, for understanding predominantly White samples, respondents an important part of the cultural milieu of Black were more likely to express favorable attitudes if they were highly educated, 1 unmarried, politically liberal, registered to We recognize that consensus does not currently exist for the best terminology to use in characterizing vote, not religious, and if they included race and ethnicity. Survey data indicate that a Blacks in their concept of gay men. In plurality of Black Americans prefers the term "Black" addition, respondents reported more to describe themselves, but a growing proportion favorable attitudes if they had experienced prefers "African American" (Smith, 1992; see also personal contact with gay men or lesbians, Martin, 1991). In the present paper, we use "Black" to but this was not a significant predictor of characterize the respondents to our survey. This attitudes when other variables were label is appropriate because, consistent with most statistically controlled. Possible differences survey research (Smith, 1992), our respondents indicated their racial background (e.g., White, Black). between Blacks’ and Whites’ social Pre-PublicationConsequently, we do not knowDraft how many of the constructions of sexual orientation are Black respondents identified as African American, discussed. Caribbean American, or otherwise. We use "African American," when appropriate to refer to the communities and culture of Blacks in the United States. gay and bisexual people. Finally, data are largely from a difference between Black and needed about negative attitudes toward White females. Because Ernst et al. (1991) homosexuality because such attitudes may focused their analyses on interracial differences interfere with AIDS prevention efforts in the rather than within-race differences, it is not clear Black community (Dalton, 1989; Peterson, 1992; whether Black males and females differed Peterson & Márin, 1988). significantly from each other in their responses. The limited data available do not clearly The histograms in the Ernst et al. (1991) paper indicate whether Black heterosexuals’ attitudes suggest the possibility that White males, Black toward homosexuality are similar to those of males, and Black females did not substantially White heterosexuals, are more tolerant, or are differ in their responses, whereas White females more negative. Klassen, Williams, and Levitt were less likely to agree with the item than were (1989) reported that Black respondents to a 1970 any of the other three groups. In other words, national survey were less likely than Whites to the racial difference observed by Ernst et al. hold strongly antihomosexual attitudes, which the (1991) may indicate extremely gay-supportive researchers operationalized as a combination of attitudes among White females rather than feelings of fear and disgust toward homosexuals extremely anti-gay attitudes among Black and willingness to deny them authoritative jobs females. and social freedoms. In contrast, no racial Apart from these few studies, most empirical differences in attitudes were observed in a 1973 research on heterosexuals’ attitudes has been national survey (Irwin & Thompson, 1977, conducted with samples that were primarily or comparing Whites versus non-whites) or in entirely White. Consequently, a need exists for national surveys aggregated across 1973, 1974, data from Black samples, preferably from and 1976 (Glenn & Weaver, 1979, comparing samples that are representative of the Black Whites and Blacks). A 1988 national survey of U.S. population. Such data will permit an adolescent males revealed no significant understanding of Black heterosexuals’ attitudes differences between Black and non-Black males in their own right, as well as offering a basis for in expressions of disgust at male-male sex comparison between Blacks and other racial and (Marsiglio, 1993). In that survey, however, ethnic groups. Black adolescent males were somewhat less In the current article, we report data from a likely than Hispanics or Whites to indicate that national telephone survey conducted with a they could be friends with a gay person. In a probability sample of Blacks. The survey’s 1985 Field Institute survey of Californians, principal focus was U.S. adults’ attitudes Blacks were slightly more likely than Whites or concerning AIDS. Because AIDS has often Hispanics to support civil rights for gay people, been equated with male homosexuality in the but they also had slightly more negative personal United States (e.g., Herek, 1990), the survey feelings toward male homosexuals; neither included several items to assess respondents’ difference, however, was statistically significant attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. Those (Alcalay, Sniderman, Mitchell, & Griffin, 1989). items are the primary focus for this article. One study suggested that racial differences Because data are generally lacking for exist in attitudes and that they result from an African American heterosexuals’ attitudes underlying gender difference. In a survey with a toward lesbians and gay men, our analysis was large convenience sample of Tennessee state guided by variables that have been found employees,Pre-Publication Ernst, Francis, Nevels, and Lemeh previously to be important Draft correlates of such (1991) found that Blacks were more likely than attitudes in U.S. samples that were primarily or Whites to agree that “AIDS will help society by exclusively White. Based on past research (e.g., reducing the number of homosexuals (gay Herek, 1984, 1994; Kite, 1994), we tested the people)” (p. 581). This racial difference resulted following hypotheses. 1. Black heterosexual men will manifest 5. Black heterosexuals will manifest more more negative attitudes than will Black favorable attitudes toward lesbians and gay heterosexual women, and this difference will men to the extent that they have had personal be more pronounced in attitudes toward gay contact with gay people. Empirical research men than in attitudes toward lesbians. This with national probability samples (Herek & hypothesis was based on the finding of a reliable Glunt, 1993; Schneider & Lewis, 1984) and gender difference in (mostly White) convenience

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