Accepting Homosexuality : Measuring and Explaining Levels of Perceived Discrimination among Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual

J. Romeijn

Abstract: This thesis centers around levels of perceived discrimination among lesbian, gay and bisexual people (LGB) in the European Union and answers two main questions. The first aims to analyze the effects that different methods to survey the LGB population have on the validity and reliability of such surveys. To do this, the only two currently available attempts to cross-nationally measure levels of perceived discrimination are compared, using a.o. regression analysis. Comparing several waves of the Eurobarometer survey to the LGBT survey by the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (EU FRA) reveals that, although it is not without problems, the latter constitutes the more reliable and valid way of surveying the LGB population on perceived discrimination. The findings stress the importance of carefully designing surveys among the LGB population, which is often neglected in the literature. The second question then asks how variations in levels of perceived discrimination among LGB people in European Union countries can be explained. Studies on this topic have so far failed to include society-wide explanations. Using the country-level data from the EU FRA LGBT survey in a regression analysis, this thesis develops a theoretical framework for the inclusion of such country-level explanations. The results show that the social acceptance of homosexuality is crucial in explaining the extent to which LGB people perceive discrimination. Moreover, some evidence is found that the legal recognition of same-sex unions (marriages and registered partnerships) and the level of modernization, indirectly impact levels of perceived discrimination.