Gay acceptance varies by nation

The world is divided over the acceptance of homosexuality, a survey released this week finds.

There is broad acceptance of homosexuality in North America, the European Union, and much of Latin America, according to the Pew Research Center survey. 

The telephone and face to face survey was completed in 39 countries among 37,653 respondents from March 2 to May 1. 

The margin of error ranges from plus or minus 3.1 to plus or minus 7.7 percentage points.

Juliana Horowitz, the report’s lead author and a senior researcher at Pew, said: “I can’t think of any question we have asked where we have this sort of global polarization. 

“In North America, Europe and several countries in Latin America, we have really high acceptance of homosexuality. 

“In predominantly Muslim nations and in sub-Saharan Africa, we have equally widespread views on the other side.”

African nations and predominantly Muslim countries are among the least accepting of homosexuality. 

For example, about 98 per cent of people in Nigeria say homosexuality should not be accepted. 

In Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim country in Southeast Asia, 93 per cent say homosexuality should be rejected.

About 60 per cent of Americans say society should accept homosexuality. 

They are more tolerant today than in 2007, when 49 percent said homosexuality should be accepted.

In several countries, younger respondents expressed more tolerant views than older people. 

For example, in Japan, 83 per cent of those younger than 30 say homosexuality should be accepted, compared with 71 per cent aged 30-49, and 39 per cent of those 50 and older.

This survey is the first in the series ‘LGBT in Changing Times’ to be released prior to the US Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage. n