A UK survey has found that 18 to 24-year-olds are more likely than any other age group to hold negative views towards LGBTQ communities.
The survey of over 1,600 adults was analyzed by the British LGBTQ anti-violence charity, Galop. The results were revealed yesterday in its Hate Crime Report 2019.
The report carries some encouraging news, such as more than 4 in 5 people said that LGBT+ people should be free to live as they wish.
However, it also found that intolerance and anti-LGBTQ sentiment is far from uncommon. Although only one in 20 said LGBTQ people should not be free to live as they wish, one in five said they’d be uncomfortable with an LGB+ neighbor, and one in four uncomfortable with a trans neighbor.
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Disturbingly, it found younger age groups showed a greater lack of acceptance towards gay, bi and trans folk.
One in five people said being LGBTQ was “immoral or against their beliefs.” This rose to one in four among 18- to 24-year-olds, higher than other age groups.
Ten percent of people said being LGBTQ could be “cured.” Again, this rose to 20% for under-25s, compared to 5% of those aged 55-65.
When asked if they believed LGBTQ people are “dangerous” to others, only 3% of the oldest age group agreed with the statement. This rose to 15% of those aged 25-34 and 16% of those aged under 25.
Related: Homophobic Oregon man makes history as first person charged under new hate crime law
In their report, Galop’s authors speculate the intolerance shown by younger people, “perhaps reflects a combination of the influence of the rise of anti-LGBT+ rhetoric globally … It may also be connected to the influence of a growing number of siloed online communities of hate.”
It recommends more research into why some younger people have negative attitudes towards gay and trans folk, and greater work with social media companies to challenge, “toxic cultures of hate online.”
Nick Antjoule, Galop’s Head of Hate Crime Services said the findings offer, “a sobering reminder that progress achieved in recent decades can easily be reversed.
“Young people polled tended to hold more negative views toward LGBT+ people than other age groups. This alarming finding warns of a generational pivot ahead and a bumpy road for those of us committed to challenging anti-LGBT violence and abuse.”
The report arrived on the same day the UK’s Home Office published its latest hate crime statistics. Compared to last year’s figures, these showed a 10% increase in hate crimes toward people because of their sexuality, and a 37% increase in transphobic hate crimes.
Over the summer, one such incident made headlines around the world. A same-sex female couple were assaulted on a London bus after being ordered to kiss by a group of young men. Five teenagers were subsequently arrested in connection with the attack. One of the women, Melania Geymonat, posted about the incident to her Facebook.
Related: Lesbian bashing couple speaks out after 5 teens arrested
Campaigners say Brexit and right-wing populism have contributed towards a rise in hate crime. Others say some of the increase can be attributed to more people feeling confident enough to report such crimes to the police.
Nik Noone, Galop’s Chief Executive said, “Recorded anti-LGBT+ hate crime has doubled in the last three years. This is reflected in the escalating scale, severity and complexity of hate crime cases we are supporting at Galop.
It was today reported that UK authorities will increase sentencing terms for those found guilty of anti-gay or anti-trans hate crimes. British judges will be instructed to sentence those found guilty of either to at least six months in jail.
Although Galop has published previous Hate Crime Reports, it has not included exactly the same data, so is unable to say whether these figures represent an increase or decrease in regards to acceptance. However, these UK findings around millennials are not isolated. In June, A GLAAD report in the US found that younger Americans feel increasingly ‘uncomfortable’ with the LGBTQ community.
GLAAD’s annual Accelerating Acceptance Index showed increasing acceptance across its first three surveys. However, the last two surveys have shown a reversal in acceptance among younger age groups: “the number of young Americans ages 18-34 who are comfortable across all seven scenarios [of LGBTQ acceptance] dropped from 53% to 45%, the second consecutive year that this age group has shown a drop.”
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
So sad and discouraging…. Unfortunately these young ignorant noxious pukes take their cues from elected officials who under the guise of “religious freedom” encourage bigotry, discrimination, and hatred.
The noxious orange puppet who made a Faustian bargain with the far right Evangelical smcubags has made every effort to reverse all the progress our community has made in the past 20 years.. .
DCFarmboy
Its because the old folks don’t know what LGBTQ is.
tf3.0
Part of the problem too is that the UK has taken in millions of immigrants from cultures which reject homosexuality as immoral.
There are some wild studies out there.
Very, very high percentages of the immigrants reject women’s rights, homosexuality, even democracy.
truthseeker
@tf3.0
^ This
There are now schools in the UK that won’t even teach about gays because groups of Muslim parents have protested (something that hasn’t been reported here). Once you let numerous people into your nation who do not share your views, you change the demographics and belief systems drastically
Vince
Yes. One of the things I like about living in America is being able to criticize a religion and still expect to live.
Cam
Because the Tories, the UK version of the Republicans have been in power for a bit, they’ve been pushing bigotry as a way to try to get Brexit through.
Clay83
You are talking absolute rubbish! The Tories have been far more accepting of LGBT issues than the republicans, you may remeber they were the ones that introduced equal marriage and Teresa May especially was an ally in our corner.
seaguy
Kids are so dumb nowadays!
Vince
UK’s a bit different. Allot of these young people that hold the views are not from the UK but other countries hostile to LGBT rights. Mainly Muslims.
MrMichaelJ
I’m pretty sure this same age group is probably more racist, sexist and xenophobic too now.
Heywood Jablowme
This can’t be true. Young people nowadays are all woke and perfect and they sh!t rainbows.
Well, except for the ones who do the mass shootings.
Clay83
They clearly didnt question native UK nationals, Ihave found young people to be very inclusive and being LGBT isnt even an issue
Ronbo
A small group of kids being indoctrinated with bigotry does NOT represent reality… it represents the unnatural spread of fear and hate.
djmcgamester
If I had to take a stab at it – in the past, people saw gays as just your average citizen who wanted to have the same things everyone else had, such as the right to be married, raise a family, own a home, be counted when it came to medical decisions, etc. Now they see people into parties, rainbow everything, seeking to stand out rather than stand together. It shifts perception when it moves from “They want to have what we have” to “They want to be different”. My take on things. Merely an opinion, which may or may not have some truths in it.
gymmuscleboy
This is the disturbing yet inevitable result of muslim immigration in the UK. Muslims have more negative views of gay people and have more children. The UK could easily become a muslim-majority country in a couple of generations.
As a gay person, you do NOT want to live in a muslim-majority country. Of course, nobody is raising the alarm or even talking about it because we are too busy pointing the finger at Trump and worried what society will say if we point the finger at muslims.
gymmuscleboy
We have to “call a spade a spade”. Islam is a significant enough influence in western countries now that we must call it out – as we have done with Christianity – before it is too late. The threat of Islam to gay people over our lifetime is far greater than Christianity because it is TRENDING UPWARDS.