Lesbians & Gays: Attitudes Among U.S. Latino College Populations

Negative attitudes towards homosexuals in the United States amongst Latino populations have been associated with cultural factors such as machismo and marianismo, as well as acculturation, ethnic identity and religious involvement (Diaz, Ayala, Bein, Henne & Marin 2001; Herek & Gonzalez-Rivera, 2006; Harris, 2009). Studies have indicated that the stronger the beliefs in traditional norms, religious affiliation and low levels of acculturation an individual has the more likely that they are to have negative attitudes towards individuals who identify as lesbian and gay (Ahrold & Meston, 2010). The following study aims to analyze the impact that acculturation, ethnic identity, traditional gender norms and religious involvement have on attitudes towards lesbians and gays amongst Latino college populations in the U.S.