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The role of religion in explaining the relationship between sexual prejudice and the rejection of marriage equality
Anderson, Joel R. Ashford, Linda J. Prakash, Prashnitha Gerace, Adam
Anderson, Joel R.
Ashford, Linda J.
Prakash, Prashnitha
Gerace, Adam
Abstract
Support for marriage equality (i.e. extending the privilege of marriage beyond heterosexual couples) is gaining global momentum as evidenced by the increase of countries introducing related legislation, yet little research has attempted to understand factors predicting the rejection of marriage equality. In this paper, we explore the multi-faceted role of religion in explaining the relationship between sexual prejudice and the rejection of marriage equality. Specifically, we explored the role of religious affiliation (i.e. religious-group membership; Study 1: n= 81) and multiple forms of religiosity (i.e. trait-like conceptualisations; Study 2: n= 168) in explaining the rejection of marriage equality beyond variance accounted for by simple sexual prejudice. As expected, negative attitudes towards marriage equality were related to being higher in sexual prejudice and religious fundamentalism, being lower in Quest, and being Christian (vs. non-religious). In addition, both religious fundamentalism and intrinsic religiosity moderated the marriage equality rejection-sexual prejudice relationship. Importantly, in multiple regression analyses, religious affiliation did not predict the rejection of marriage equality, and religious fundamentalism was the only significant religiosity predictor. Taken together, religiosity emerged as a more useful quantification of religion than religious affiliation in the context of explaining the rejection of marriage equality.
Keywords
marriage equality, same-sex marriage, sexual prejudice, religiosity, religious fundamentalism, religious orientation, religion
Date
2022
Type
Journal article
Journal
Psychology and Sexuality
Book
Volume
13
Issue
3
Page Range
610-627
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Behavioural and Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
All rights reserved
File Access
Controlled