“Homophobia” in the Country? Rural America and the Stigmatization of LGBTQ People: An Empirical Test of Norm-Centered Stigma Theory

Abstract

In-depth explorations of LGBTQ attitudes among rural Americans are sparse and often rely upon sweeping stereotypes that cluster all perspectives into one broad statement such as “homophobia” in the country. As a result, little is known about the relationships between rurality and the stigmatization of LGBTQ people. In addition, though research demonstrates that men are less supportive of LGBTQ people than women are, these patterns are unclear among rural Americans. In the current study, data from a sample of U.S. adults aged 18–64 stratified by the U.S. census categories of age, gender, race/ethnicity, and census region collected from online panelists (N = 2,802, n = 492 rural Americans) are utilized to investigate the relationships between rurality and attitudes toward lesbian women, gay men, bisexual women, bisexual men, trans women, trans men, nonbinary people, queer women, and queer men. Specifically, we offer a test of Norm-Centered Stigma Theory with a focus on hetero-cis-normativity and intersecting experiences with social power (gender identity: cis women and cis men) as they relate to rurality and LGBTQ attitudes. Findings indicate that hetero-cis-normativity, rurality, and being a cisgender man are all significantly related to the stigmatization of LGBTQ people. Implications are provided.