Not So Sexually Modern After All: Homonegativity and Prejudice Against Open and Age-Gap Relationships Get access Arrow

How widespread is sexual liberalism in tolerant societies? Theoretical and descriptive evidence suggests an overall liberalization in societal views on topics such as women’s rights and homosexuality. Yet, relying on sexual norms theory, this study unveils persistent sexual prejudice. We differentiate between “normalized” sexual issues, like same-gender marriage, which have gained mainstream acceptance, and “nonnormalized” issues, such as nontraditional sexual practices and relationships, which remain stigmatized. Through a conjoint experiment in Catalonia, Spain, we investigate public attitudes toward adoptive parents with varying sexual orientations, relationship types, and age differences, confirming that discriminatory preferences are prevalent in contexts with low social desirability. By highlighting the continued prejudice against both normative and nonnormative sexual issues, this research contributes to our understanding of the dynamics of sexual attitudes and the challenges facing LGBTQ+ politics and rights.