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Rejecting homosexuality but tolerating homosexuals

The complex relations between religiosity and opposition to homosexuality in 9 Arab countries

Bibliographic Data

ID2092523
AuthorsSaskia Gla (0000-0002-0666-9288), Saskia Glas (Radboud University Nijmegen, corresponding author), N Spierings (0000-0002-3116-3262, Radboud University Nijmegen)
Year2021
Volume95
Pages102533
Publication date2021-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Science Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0049-089X • E-ISSN: 1096-0317
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.ssresearch.2021.102533
PMID33653589
OpenAlexW3121723112
LanguageEN
Citations received18
References cited41

Public debates portray Arab Muslims as universally opposed to homosexuality due to Islam. Those Orientalist claims are mirrored by large-scale studies that argue Muslims oppose homosexuality more than non-Muslims. We argue that assuming religion and opposition to homosexuality are unidimensional concepts obscures how they relate to each other and why; we study both "religiosity" and "opposition to homosexuality" multidimensionally. WVS data on 9000 Arab Muslims show, first, that although most respondents reject both homosexuality and homosexuals, one in five reject homosexuality but do not object to having homosexual neighbors. A substantial minority of Arab Muslims thus "hate the sin but love the sinner". Multilevel analyses show that stronger religious attachment increases opposition to homosexuality and homosexual people. However, all other dimensions of religiosity we study (textualism, mosque attendance, and altruism) also reduce some oppositions. Consequently, the argument that Arab Muslims' religiosity only leads to opposition to homosexuality is too simplistic

Gay rights · Homosexuality · Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) · Male Homosexuality · Men who have sex with men · Opposition (politics) · Political science · Politics · Psychoanalysis · Religiosity · African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Law · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Virology

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Unique citing works18
Citations per year4,5
Citation span2022 - 2026 (5)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 16
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