RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND, INTERGROUP CONTACT AND ACCEPTANCE OF LGBT IN MALAYSIA

Hsin-Nie Ling; Su-Hie Ting

Hsin-Nie Ling Faculty of Language and Communication, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kuching, MALAYSIA
Su-Hie Ting Faculty of Language and Communication, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kuching, MALAYSIA

Abstract

Attitudes towards homosexuality have been found to vary with religious background and contact with LGBT individuals. Intergroup contact may result in more favourable attitudes towards homosexuality and research has suggested that the people who are more open to gender non-conformity may be young, female and non-religiously affiliated. However, in the Malaysian context, the degree of acceptance towards LGBT in relation to religious background and intergroup contact is not well understood. The study examined the relationship between religious background, intergroup contact and acceptance of LGBT in Malaysia. The specific objectives of the study are to determine: (1) the level of intergroup contact with LGBT individuals for respondents from different religious backgrounds; (2) the degree of acceptance towards LGBT individuals for respondents from different religious backgrounds; and (3) relationship between intergroup contact and acceptance towards LGBT individuals. The questionnaire data were from 364 heterosexual Malaysian respondents from various age, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. The results showed that about half of respondents have direct contact with LGBT individuals as in having close friends who are LGBT or knowing a LGBT couple but very few have attended a marriage ceremony for LGBT couples, are in a romantic relationship with LGBT individuals or are LGBT themselves. A majority of the respondents know the challenges of LGBT individuals through reading about them but few have taken active steps to express public support for LGBT. The respondents can accept it if they found out their friends, neighbours, colleagues, educators and close relatives are LGBT but are not as tolerant if their child or religious leader is LGBT. The acceptance of LGBT individuals is significantly correlated with religious background and extent of intergroup contact with LGBT individuals.

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