The Peter Tatchell Human Rights Foundation reports a study from the States showing that amongst young men influenced by the right wing social media, attitudes towards women, gay people, trans people and indeed all minorities seems to have slipped backwards. Peter says New research shows a worrying rise in anti-LGBT+ attitudes among young men, driven by online influencers, culture-war politics & misinformation amplified on social media platforms. While younger generations are often assumed to be more progressive, this data reveals a growing backlash that is reshaping attitudes towards equality."Rights are never permanently won – without education, positive role models & challenges to hate narratives, prejudice often mutates & returns.ns.
A new study has identified a significant and growing gender divide in social attitudes among young people in the United States, with men in their early twenties showing notably less progressive views than their female peers. The report, prepared for the American Institute for Boys and Men, found that men born in the 2000s hold more conservative positions on issues including LGBTQ+ rights and abortion compared to both women of the same age and men from older generations.
The data reveals that 65% of men born in the 2000s believe homosexuality should be accepted by society. This figure is over seven percentage points lower than that for men born in the 1990s and three points lower than men born in the 1980s, indicating a reversal of the previous trend of each generation being more socially liberal than the last.
The gender gap for those born in the 2000s was described as the widest in nearly every subject compared to every other decade. The most pronounced divergence was on the subject of transgender rights. While 60% of women born in the 2000s believe trans people should be accepted by society, only 44% of men the same age agree—a substantial gender gap of 16 percentage points.
Other key issues showed similar splits. Support for same-sex marriage saw a 12-point gender gap among this cohort, while support for the general acceptance of homosexuality showed a 17-point gap. A 10-point divide was also recorded on the issue of abortion rights.
In stark contrast, the study highlighted that women aged 24 and under are overwhelmingly supportive of LGBTQ+ rights, with 83% supporting same-sex marriage and 82% supporting the acceptance of homosexuality in society. The findings suggest a rapidly evolving social landscape where young women and young men are increasingly moving in opposite ideological directions on core cultural issues.
