The Contact Hypothesis and Millennial Evangelical Protestants’ Attitudes toward Same-Sex Families

Abstract

Research regarding attitudes towards same-sex couples and their creation of families has identified a few trends including: 1) Millennials are the generation most likely to have favorable views of same-sex families, 2) evangelicalLGBT are less likely to approve (Jones, Cox, and Navarro-Rivera 2014). The central focus of this study is the attitudes of young evangelicals who may be more supportive of same-sex relationships 1 based on their age, yet less supportive based on their religious affiliation. Additionally, the project examined the extent to which contact with LGBQ 2 people has an effect on participants' attitudes towards same-sex couples creating families. This study helps us learn about the sexuality attitudes of this new generation of evangelical Protestant adults and how they are affected by contact with LGBQ people. The study provides insight into the future of Millennials' relationship with the evangelical Protestant tradition, gauging whether the tradition is likely to grow in support of or opposition to families headed by same-sex couples. BackgroundTo provide context for this project, literature on attitudes towards samesex relationships among Millennials and evangelical Protestants is reviewed first, followed by a summary of relevant research on the contact hypothesis and influence on attitudes. This section concludes with an outline of the existing information available on Millennial evangelical Protestants' attitudes toward same-sex relationships and an explanation of how this study contributes to the scholarship on these topics.

Acquaintance with LGBTQI + People is Not Enough: Attitudes toward Same Sex Parents in Australia

“…This has been demonstrated consistently regarding racial and ethnic minority groups (Brown et al, 2007;Eller & Abrams, 2004;Mancini et al, 2015). Similarly, evidence suggests that increased contact with LGBTQI+ individuals can positively influence attitudes towards them (Górska et al, 2017;Marr, 2015). Studies in university settings have found that students who know lesbian and gay individuals report more positive attitudes towards LGBTQI+ individuals (Rutledge et al, 2012;Swank & Raiz, 2010).…”