Fewer and fewer Germans are rejecting gays and lesbians - at least for the time being. This is shown by a study by Bielefeld University. The bad news: discrimination is now mainly affecting Muslims
The good news comes from Bielefeld just before Christmas: according to the results of the long-term study on "group-related misanthropy", antipathy towards gays and lesbians has decreased significantly in recent years. Study director Wilhelm Heitmeyer, professor of sociology at Bielefeld University, recently presented the latest figures in Berlin. A team has been analysing the prejudices of Germans towards certain groups of people, including Jews, migrants and homosexuals, for nine years.
According to the new survey, only 16 per cent of Germans still find homosexuality immoral. Rejection of gay marriage is also at an all-time low: only a quarter of respondents are still opposed to gays and lesbians being allowed to marry.
"The rejection of homosexuals has steadily decreased in recent years," confirms Andreas Zick, who played a key role in the study. One reason for this positive development is "the long series of positive interventions in favour of homosexuals" - for example the introduction of registered civil partnerships in 2001. "This recognition by the state is slowly gaining acceptance among the entire population."
Can gays now sit back and relax? Andreas Zick warns against euphoria: homosexuals could once again become the focus of misanthropic statements in the future. In other Western countries, there is an opposite trend: "In the USA, opinions about homosexuals are currently becoming more radicalised," emphasises Zick. "This often follows a religious fundamentalisation."
The wind can change quickly - especially in times of economic crisis. This is confirmed by other figures in the survey. For example, the rejection of Muslims in Germany has increased significantly compared to 2009. This increase was particularly strong among the highest earners - for the Bielefeld researchers, all people with a gross monthly income of over 2598 euros.
"In view of the economic situation, the only thing that matters to many is getting themselves and their neighbours safely through the crisis," says Zick. "All groups that are perceived as foreign are rejected."
Also alarming: Islamophobia is growing even among people who consider themselves to be on the left or in the political centre. "Barriers are falling," Zick tells iwwit.de. "Even in the political centre, prejudices against migrants and Muslims are now being made more and more quickly without any moral brake taking effect." Yet the protection of minorities is actually a strength of democracies. Study director Heitmeyer even speaks of an "increasingly raw civility".
However, the study results - like all representative surveys - should be treated with caution. When interpreting their data, the researchers always follow current events. One example: in 2009, at the height of the financial crisis, the Bielefeld researchers discovered a growing rejection of Jews and homosexuals - especially among those who feared economic decline. Their attempted explanation at the time: in the eyes of many people, both groups were seen as "crisis winners" who would hardly be affected by the economic hardships.
A year later, this is no longer the case. Zick is self-critical: "What we didn't realise back then was the enormous force of the integration debate. The public debate is now so focussed on the topics of integration and religion that other groups, such as homosexuals, are being left out of the firing line." A bitter aftertaste for the good news from Bielefeld.
The latest study results have just been published by Suhrkamp Verlag: Wilhelm Heitmeyer (ed.): Deutsche Zustände: Folge 9.
