"Some of My Best Friends" Intergroup Contact, Concealable Stigma, and Heterosexuals' Attitudes Toward Gay Men and Lesbians

In a two-wave national telephone survey, a probability sample of English-speaking adults indicated their attitudes toward gay men at Wave 1 (1990-91; n = 538) and toward both gay men and lesbians approximately 1 year later (n = 382 at Wave 2). At Wave 1, heterosexuals reporting interpersonal contact (31.3%) manifested more positive attitudes toward gay men than those without contact. Their attitudes were more favorable to the extent that they reported more relationships, closer relationships, and receiving direct disclosure about another's homosexuality. At Wave 2, these findings were generally replicated for attitudes toward lesbians as well as gay men. Cross-wave analyses suggest a reciprocal relationship between contact and attitudes. Theoretical and policy implications of the results are discussed, with special attention to the role of interpersonal disclosure in reducing stigma based on a concealable status.

[1]  G. Herek.  The social context of hate crimes: Notes on cultural heterosexism. , 1992 .

[2]  David A. Wilder,et al.  Reduction of Intergroup Discrimination through Individuation of the Out-Group. , 1978 .

[3]  C. Weis,et al.  Ego development and sex attitudes in heterosexual and homosexual men and women , 1979, Archives of sexual behavior.

[4]  O. John,et al.  Social categorization and behavioral episodes: A cognitive analysis of the effects of intergroup contact. , 1985 .

[5]  M. Snyder.  On the self-perpetuating nature of social stereotypes , 1981 .

[6]  G. Herek.  Stigma, prejudice, and violence against lesbians and gay men. , 1991 .

[7]  G. Herek.  Heterosexuals' attitudes toward lesbians and gay men: Correlates and gender differences , 1988 .

[8]  C. Gentry.  Social distance regarding male and female homosexuals. , 1987, The Journal of social psychology.

[9]  M. Vicinus,et al.  Hidden from History: Reclaiming the Gay and Lesbian Past , 1989 .

[10]  C. San Miguel,et al.  A factor-analytic conceptualization of attitudes toward male and female homosexuals. , 1976, Journal of homosexuality.

[11]  D. Hamer,et al.  A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation. , 1993, Science.

[12]  A. Berube.  Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War Two , 1990 .

[13]  V. Derlega,et al.  Self-disclosure : theory, research, and therapy , 1987 .

[14]  John D’Emilio.  Sexual politics, sexual communities : the making of a homosexual minority in the United States, 1940-1970 , 1983 .

[15]  M. Kite.  Sex differences in attitudes toward homosexuals: a meta-analytic review. , 1984, Journal of homosexuality.

[16]  M. Kite.  When perceptions meet reality: Individual differences in reactions to lesbians and gay men. , 1994 .

[17]  E. Goffman.  Stigma; Notes On The Management Of Spoiled Identity , 1964 .

[18]  G. Herek,et al.  Conspiracies, contagion, and compassion: trust and public reactions to AIDS. , 1994, AIDS education and prevention : official publication of the International Society for AIDS Education.

[19]  G. Herek,et al.  Public reactions to AIDS in the United States: a second decade of stigma. , 1993, American journal of public health.

[20]  G. Herdt,et al.  Introduction:: Gay and Lesbian Youth, Emergent Identities, and Cultural Scenes at Home and Abroad , 1989 .

[21]  Randy Shilts.  The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk , 1982 .

[22]  G. Herek,et al.  Black heterosexuals’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men in the United States , 1995 .

[23]  D. Hamilton.  Cognitive Processes in Stereotyping and Intergroup Behavior , 1981 .

[24]  K. Paige.  Sexual Pollution: Reproductive Sex Taboos in American Society , 1977 .

[25]  G. Herek.  Assessing heterosexuals' attitudes toward lesbians and gay men: A review of empirical research with the ATLG scale. , 1994 .

[26]  M. Brewer,et al.  13 – Beyond the Contact Hypothesis: Theoretical Perspectives on Desegregation , 1984 .

[27]  Y. Amir,et al.  8 – The Role of Intergroup Contact in Change of Prejudice and Ethnic Relations 1 , 1976 .

[28]  G. Herek.  Sexual orientation and military service: A social science perspective. , 1993 .

[29]  M. Brewer,et al.  Cooperative Interaction in Desegregated Settings: A Laboratory Analogue , 1985 .

[30]  G. Herek,et al.  AIDS‐related attitudes in the United States: A preliminary conceptualization , 1991 .

[31]  Gregory M. Herek,et al.  Interpersonal contact and heterosexuals’ attitudes toward gay men: Results from a national survey , 1993 .

[32]  G. Āllport.  The Nature of Prejudice , 1954 .