Increasing intolerance among young people towards LGBTQ+ individuals

What exactly does your role at the Jeugdonderzoeksplatform involve?
Fien Pauwels: “As a researcher at the Jeugdonderzoeksplatform (JOP), we are commissioned by the government every five years to map out the state of youth. We do this through two large-scale surveys and a book in which we describe the situation of young people. Based on those figures, we then conduct further research. We survey young people in Flanders on a wide range of topics. From within the JOP, we also produce factsheets to explore certain results from those large-scale surveys in more depth. In 2018, we studied the results on homophobia. I studied Gender & Diversity myself, and I found it interesting to look at the similarities and differences with the responses from 2023. It is not a large-scale study; we mainly wanted to show what the figures are and what they tell us.”

What are the most striking findings?
Fien Pauwels: “The main finding is that homophobia has generally increased. Across all the items we surveyed, we observe a rise. Overall, that increase is also significant between 2018 and 2023. We then looked at how this differs between social groups, and we see that the increase applies to every group — including girls and non-religious young people. There are, however, two groups where we see an even more significant rise: boys and young people following programmes geared towards the labour market.”

What do you think is causing this general increase?
“The normalisation of illiberal thinking is becoming more visible. In (social) media, homophobic and misogynistic statements are more frequently and more openly expressed. In everyday life as well, it has become slightly less taboo to say that you oppose homosexuality. We see that this kind of discourse does influence young people, and they are, of course, a group that is particularly susceptible to it. They look up to certain figures, and if those figures say they don’t find it acceptable for men to kiss each other, they are more likely to adopt that view. I specifically research young people, and it is possible that this trend is also present in wider society, but I don’t have the data to make claims about that.”

Is it mainly about online discourse and the influence of social media?
“It is certainly not only due to smartphone use. Many young people do spend a lot of time on social media. Andrew Tate, for example, has somewhat lost his appeal now, but many young people are drawn to edgy content, and that feeds into the conversations they have with each other in the playground. The online and offline worlds are constantly interconnected.”

Concerning in times when the rights of LGBTQ+ people are effectively being rolled back in some countries. Can we, as a society, have an impact?
“I hope so. And I do think so. At a certain point, the tide turned and liberal thinking became more widespread. People became more tolerant, and in the 2010–2020 period there was a strong call for greater acceptance. Society naturally shifts as well — between left and right, between more conservative and more liberal views. I think it’s like a set of scales that sometimes tips more one way, then the other. Overall, the levels of homophobia are not that extreme, although there are certainly some concerning figures. If 20 per cent of young people say they find aggression towards homosexuals acceptable, that is indeed something that is alarming and should absolutely be discussed at a societal level. But a score of 3.2 out of 10 for homophobia is still not disastrous. So I do think it gives reason for debate, but not for panic.”

And can education play a role in that debate?
“We need to make it discussable in schools, but without literally teaching it as a subject. Secondary schools can serve as a forum to engage in conversations with people who identify as LGBTQ+, for example. Coming into contact with the world and with people who are different can have a positive effect on young people. Secondary school is, of course, also a very challenging period in terms of identity formation; many people begin to think more freely once they enter higher education. But it is definitely something that needs to be addressed at a societal level.”

What role do you think we, as a university, can play in this?
“Good reporting channels where people can turn if they experience discrimination are very important. Representation matters too — for example, lecturers who are openly queer. There also needs to be sufficient pressure from universities to conduct research into discrimination or homophobia. And we must be honest about the figures that emerge from that research. This study does not bring good news, but it is important. It is more the starting point of a debate. These are the facts, this is the societal trend, and now it is up to society to take those figures into account and decide what to do with them.”

What would you like to add as a researcher?
“Keep doing research, and don’t assume that things will automatically keep improving. Be prepared for setbacks, because progress is not guaranteed. Just because you are on the right path does not mean you can leave it at that. The fight against homophobia is something we must continue to invest energy in. As a society, we need to keep talking about it and remain aware that it will not simply disappear on its own. It requires active effort.”