The relationship between social dominance orientation, gender role orientation and attitudes toward gay men and lesbians in a Turkish sample

Abstract

Sexual prejudice refers to negative attitudes towards individuals based on their sexual orientation. Scholars have shown an interest in identifying the factors that may increase the probability of prejudice against sexual minorities. The current study investigates in particular the main and interactive effects of the participants' social dominance orientation (SDO) and gender role orientation on their attitudes toward gay men and lesbians in a Turkish sample. It examines whether the effect of SDO on prejudiced attitudes would be stronger among individuals with high adherence to traditional gender roles. A total of 250 heterosexual university students filled out a questionnaire consisting of items designed to measure their SDO, gender role orientation and attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. The results overall revealed that SDO, femininity (among females) and masculinity (among males) are positively related to prejudiced attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. Supporting expectations, SDO and femininity interact in predicting sexual prejudice. However, masculinity does not interact with participants' SDO. The supplementary analyses also revealed that the effect of SDO on prejudiced attitudes was stronger among female participants with high femininity scores and among male participants with lower femininity scores. These findings indicate that a general preference for group inequality and endorsement of traditional gender role predispose individuals to be prejudiced against gay men and lesbians. Thus, the present study supplements the related literature by examining the interactive effects of SDO and gender role orientation in Turkey, a non-Western cultural context. It also provides important implications for researchers and practitioners in terms of developing strategies to reduce prejudice against sexual minorities.