Perceptions and attitudes of heterosexual Nigerian University students towards homosexuality and LGB persons

Abstract

The study utilized African theories, literatures, framework and a qualitative method with 11 heterosexual Nigerian undergraduate university students to explore their perceptions and attitudes towards homosexuality and LGB persons. The data analysis identified six categories: (a) higher tolerance observed for lesbians than gay men among heterosexual men; (b) possibility of biological causation of homosexuality; (c) assumptions of social and environmental factors as influencing homosexuality; (d) assumption that gays are sexual abusers and the fear of gay men and lesbians; (e) positive perceptions about LGB persons; and (f) suggestions on conversion therapy for LGB persons. This study identifies perceptions, attitudes and microaggressions of heterosexual students towards LGB persons and the implications on safe schools and the well-being of LGB students. The study recommends how to address heterosexism and homophobia in our schools and campuses. Findings are discussed with findings on attitudes towards homosexuality in schools and universities in some African countries.

Keywords:

• Attitudes
• heterosexism
• heterosexuals
• homophobia
• safe schools
• students undergraduates
• students LGBT
• prejudice

Acknowledgments

The researcher thanks the heterosexual undergraduate students for their participation in this study. The researcher thanks Hassan and Husseini Bagudu for providing some logistics assistance during the data collection. Thanks are due to two undergraduate students, Kunle Ajayi of the Faculty of Agriculture and Opeyemi Sadiq Abubakar of the Department of Psychology for helping to recruit the research participants. Thanks to the manager of ‘A la Carte’ restaurant for allowing us to use their space for our FGD on March 7th, 2017. Special thanks are due to the anonymous reviewers and the journal Editor for their review.

Notes on Contributor

Kehinde Okanlawon, MA, MPH, is a Nigerian sexual health and rights educator, scholar, advocate, activist and social worker. He has worked and/or collaborated with many Nigerian LGBT-rights Organizations such as INCRESE, House of Rainbow, WHER, ICERTH, on different LGBT rights projects such as Sexual diversity and human rights project, Human rights education and counselling, Training of Paralegals, Psychosocial support and counselling for sexual minority women, Positive Living Project for HIV-Positive MSM, among others. He recently carried out a research on sustainable development goals (SDGs) and LGBT inclusion in Nigeria in partnership with the African Population and Health Research Centre, Kenya. His work has appeared in several academic journals such as Culture, Health and Sexuality, College Literature, Journal of LGBT Youth, African Journal of Reproductive Health, African Research Review and Forced Migration Review.