Homophobia in northeastern Brazilian university students.

The purpose of this research was to examine the presence of homophobia in northeastern Brazilian university students and the interaction between homophobia and various constructs, such as gender, family, and contact with homosexuals. This research was completed through the use of questionnaires, and responses were attained from a diverse group of 553 students. The Brazilian results demonstrate a complete inversion of the relationship between homophobia and gender roles from that which has been established in past research. Specifically, the results found that women are slightly more homophobic than men, female homophobia is more pronounced toward female homosexuals than male homosexuals, and male homophobia is equally directed toward male and female homosexuals. The differences are hypothesized to stem from the similarly rigid gender roles of northeastern Brazilian women and industrialized men.