Aggression Paper
AI-enhanced title
A Brief Look at the Science Behind Modern Homophobia: Causes and Aggressive Acts
Megan Ulman
University of Cincinnati THE SCIENCE BEHIND HOMOPHOBIA 2
Homophobia has been around since humans began first judging each other, it seems. First
described as “dread of being in close quarters with homosexuals” (Weinberg, 1972, p. 4), the
term “homophobia” has recently become more popular in the media because of our
ever-changing society. According to a study done by Gallup in 2020, (a company known for its
country-wide polls), the LGBTQ+ community is on the rise, now making up approximately 4.5
percent of the United States population, a record-high percentage. With these numbers rising, it
would make sense that people who identify as heterosexual or “straight” would become more
accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. However, that is not always the case. Hate crimes and
violent acts against this community are also on the rise. Since humans are not born with but
taught hate, one might wonder; where is this hate coming from and who is teaching it?
One can argue that the main cause of homophobia comes from religion, specifically
Christianity and Islam. Although the Bible calls for Christians to “love thy neighbor”, many
Christians believe that that statement does not apply to their gay neighbors. Instead, they choose
to follow other passages more closely, such as, “[E]ach man should have his own wife and each
woman her own husband” (1 Corinthians 7:3, English Standard Version). Homophobia in
Christianity remains to be a widely controversial topic in North America and Europe, but in other
parts of the country where Sharia Law rules, is can be life-threateningly dangerous to be a
homosexual. According to Forbes, a range of gay activities are illegal in 71 countries, being gay
has a minimum of fourteen years in prison, and some countries even allow the murder of
homosexuals legalized. A study in 2012 that examined five Muslim lesbians found that the
women “[didn’t] want to taint the name of Islam” and lived in a constant state of “religiously
sanctioned homophobia” towards themselves (Siraj, 2012). Once these ideologies are taught, THE SCIENCE BEHIND HOMOPHOBIA 3
they are hard to be forgotten. They survived the endless criticism and backlash because they
were and continue to be passed down generation after generation, each one encouraging and
justifying the beliefs of the next. However, all of that debate would become momentarily paused
On June 26, 2015, the United States passed the Marriage Equality Act, making it legal for
people of all genders and sexual orientations to marry whomever they choose. Before this was
passed, many states in the US already had marriage equality. It is no coincidence that these states
happen to be predominantly liberal, and according to a study done in 2014 (almost exactly one
year before the Marriage Equality Act passed), ranked on the lower end of a Likert Scale when
asked how important religion was to them (meaning, not very important)(PewForum, 2014). On
the other end of the scale, the states who said that religion was “very important” or “somewhat
important” did not yet have marriage equality until the country-wide act was passed in 2015; for
example, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Lousianna, Mississippi, etc. This evidence proves that US
states who greatly value religion are less likely to support marriage equality unless forced by the
US Supreme Court and the President of the United States and are therefore, homophobic. A
study done to find the relationship between religion and “homonegativity” in 79 countries. Using
the World Values Survey (1999-2004, 2005-2009), the researchers were able to rank the most
This study shows that out of 79 countries, the most “homonegative” or homophobic people are
all about LGBTQ+ issues. It states that the purpose for said pamphlet is to “remov[e] the stigma
of mental illness that has long been associated with lesbian, gay and bisexual orientations”
(APA). The website has several frequently asked questions on it with responses to each that
reflect the current view of the association. When asked explicitly if being LGBTQ+ is a mental
disorder, the site replies, “No, lesbian, gay and bisexual orientations are not disorders” (APA).
The APA is currently trying to end the stigma and misunderstanding of the LGBTQ+
community, however, it cannot do that unless people allow it to in the first place.
Although society is slowly becoming more accepting of LGBTQ+ people, the topic is
still widely controversial. According to the FBI, one in five hate crimes committed in 2018 were
motivated by an anti-LGBTQ+ bias. That same study found that of these hate crimes, about 60%
were against gay men, 12% against lesbians, 2.4% against transgender/gender non-conforming
individuals, 1.5% against bisexuals, and the rest were a mixed targeted group. The total
percentage of hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals jumped from 17% in 2017 to 19% in
2018. Specifically, the anti-trans violence jumped from 1,217 incidents in 2017 to 1,347
incidents in 2018, a 34% increase. The study also shows that these hate crimes are increasingly
targeting people instead of property. However, an older study done in 2013 shows that hate
crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals were down that year. A total of 285 individuals in the
LGBTQ+ community were surveyed about the number of hate crimes they have experienced in
their life. The participants were given a survey with a Likert Scale, 0 meaning “never” and 6
meaning “6 times or more”. The results show the sampled mean at 2.0 meaning, being a victim
of a hate crime due to their sexuality two times or more in their life (Swank & Fahs, 2013). One THE SCIENCE BEHIND HOMOPHOBIA 5
can assume with these pieces of data that hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community continues
Future hate crime offenders hypothetically fit into the Significance Quest Theory
perfectly. Their triggering event, the initiator of their anger or hate, could be as knowing that
LGBTQ+ people exist. It could also be more “real”, like seeing two men kiss each other or hold
hands. The loss of significance that happens is very unique and personal to the offender. They
could be confused, angry, or just plainly disapprove of what is going on, especially if the event
occurring goes against something they strongly believe in, such as the Bible or Quran. The need
for closure happens when the future offender decides that they need to send a message or “fix”
society by removing or scaring people in this community. The narrative or network could be
referring to their sacred book or discussing with friends who have the same beliefs as the
offender, agreeing that something should be done. The extreme violence is, of course, the hate
crime itself. Hate crimes can come in many forms from calling a gay man names to shooting and
To conclude, the hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community seem to be increasing, as
justified by data from 2013 and 2018. Arguably the main cause of these hate crimes is religion,
specifically the religions of Islam and Christianity. Atheists were surveyed to have the least
amount of anti-LGBTQ+ bias, and would therefore commit the least amount of hate crimes
against this community. Major organizations like the APA continue to do their part in educating
people about the LGBTQ+ community, to try to remove any stigma against them. However,
these efforts do not appear to be working as well as many might hope. The hope of many is that
someday, the world can move past these acts of aggression and accept people for who they are. THE SCIENCE BEHIND HOMOPHOBIA 6
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