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) evangelical Protestants are the religious group least likely to be supportive, and 3) people who have contact with lesbian women, gay men, bisexual, and queer identified people (LGBQ) are more likely to support their coupling and family creation. Millennial evangelical Protestants (MEP) were surveyed about their attitudes towards same-sex headed families to learn whether their attitudes were more consistent with their age or religious affiliation and whether contact with LGBQ people had any influence on their opinions. It was found that although there are a portion of MEPs who feel positively about same-sex families, a notable and often larger portion consider same-sex relationships to be wrong and are not supportive of legislation that promotes same-sex families. However, it was also found that contact with LGBQ individuals increased favorable attitudes toward same-sex families, and knowing someone in a same-sex relationship has a greater impact on attitudes than only knowing someone who is LGBQ. These findings have important implications for the future of MEPs’ relationships with the church.