New research shows that the majority of citizens in four key western democracies may hold the stereotypical and prejudiced view that Muslims are a homophobic threat to LGBTQ+ communities.
The study, co-led by the University of Southampton, Harvard University and University of Amsterdam, offers new insights into public perceptions of Muslims and the persistence of prejudicial beliefs in societies that are often considered inclusive.
Published in British Journal of Political Science, the research used an innovative experimental design to gather data from Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. Unlike direct questioning, the study’s method allowed respondents to express sensitive views (like holding prejudicial views), without fear of social judgment, with the aim of returning more truthful responses.
Led by Dr Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte (Southampton), Dr Alberto López Ortega (Harvard), and Dr Michael Hunklinger (Amsterdam), the study involved a total of 4,000+ participants across the four countries, with more than 1,000 responding per country.
Participants were asked to count the number of groups (such as, social, political and religious groups,) from a random list and identify those they viewed to be threatening to LGBTQ+ individuals. Whether a list included Muslims as one of the groups or not was randomised. The lists also contained other groups which serve as placebos for comparison.
The results were striking, showing that across all four countries a majority share of citizens expressed the stereotypical view that Muslims are a homophobic threat to the LGBTQ+ community. This stereotype was most prevalent in Germany, where nearly 70 percent of respondents implicitly agreed with it, followed by the Netherlands at 66 percent. The UK and USA were 61 percent and 58 percent, respectively.
The researchers suggest that in both Germany and the Netherlands , far-right political actors have been explicit in using the alleged threat of Muslims to LGBTQ+ persons in order to rally support for anti-Muslim policies. These narratives, known as ‘homonationalism’, use the protection of LGBTQ+ rights to justify exclusionary policies against Muslims and have been shown to resonate with a broad segment of the population.
Dr Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte, Associate Professor in Quantitative Political Science at the University of Southampton comments: “The belief that Muslims pose a threat to LGBTQ+ people is not limited to the usual suspects – far-right voters and those opposed to immigration – but is also widely endorsed by ordinary citizens from across the political spectrum including those who typically tend to be more politically liberal. This stereotype is more deeply rooted than many would like to believe and the chances of a left-wing voter holding this view is surprisingly similar to those of a right-wing voter.”
“The extent of this prejudicial stereotype against Muslims has powerful and dangerous implications for social cohesion and democratic health,” adds Dr López Ortega, a political scientist at Harvard University. “When a large portion of society holds prejudicial views that align with far-right talking points, it opens the door for exclusionary policies that may further marginalise Muslim communities.”
The study found no significant difference in the extent to which LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ individuals believed in the stereotype.
