Gendered Trajectories to Tolerance: Men’s and Women’s Changing Attitudes toward Homosexuality in Japan, 1981–2019

Abstract

Gender and sexuality are context-specific constructions. Yet, among the increasing volume of quantitative studies on changing attitudes toward homosexuality, scholars have failed to understand the role of gender in shaping attitudinal change. This study sheds light on the hitherto overlooked aspect of gender in analyzing changing attitudes toward homosexuality in a non-Western context. Drawing on Japanese data from the World Values Survey, I use a linear decomposition technique to estimate relative contributions of cohort replacement and intracohort change effects on overall change and examine the difference in changes between men and women. The results show clear gendered patterns in attitudinal change over the past four decades. Including the Japanese case in the literature allows for theoretical arguments on how persistent patriarchy and deeply embedded heteronormative practices perpetuate hegemonic masculinity and associated homophobia. Although the recent rapid liberalization of attitudes among men might shine a light on the emergence of inclusive masculinity, I argue that hegemonic masculinity is still at play, especially among older generations. Future research may address whether changing attitudes can be a catalyst for social change or merely a vestige of hegemonic masculinity that legitimizes a more subtle form of homophobia in the contemporary era.