Christian Social Work Students' Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men: Religious Teachings, Religiosity, and Contact

This study explores religious teachings about same-sex sexuality, religiosity, and contact with gay, lesbian, or bisexual (GLB) friends on attitudes toward lesbians and gay men among Catholic and Protestant social work students. Data from a convenience sample (n = 383) from four universities were analyzed. Hierarchical multiple regression results indicate that age, Protestant religious affiliation, religiosity, religious message about homosexuality, contact with GLB, and the cross product of religiosity and religious message were significant. The adjusted analysis for the latter variable indicates that those exposed to more accepting messages reported less bias, and the effect of antigay messages was greatest among highly religious students.