Gay Friendly?

American Demographics,  May 1, 2002  by John Fetto

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Byline: JOHN FETTO

So, Rosie's out of the closet and the U.S. may soon have its first gay television network, courtesy of Viacom. Big deal. But as progressive as Americans think they are, they are still more than twice as likely as the rest of the world to maintain the belief that "it is wrong to engage in homosexual sex." According to "Love & Lust," a survey of over 1,000 people in Europe and North America, 42 percent of Americans say that homosexuality is wrong, compared with just 21 percent of those in the United Kingdom, 16 percent in Italy, 13 percent in France and 9 percent in Holland. The survey, conducted in January by advertising agency Euro RSCG, finds that Mexicans are most similar to Americans when it comes to their attitudes toward gays and lesbians, with 41 percent contending that homosexual sex is wrong. But not all Spanish speakers feel the same. In fact, of eight nationalities surveyed, Spaniards are the most accepting of homosexual relations; only 5 percent of respondents in Spain report having a problem accepting gay and lesbian sex.

CURIOUS

The Spanish are the least likely to show interest in having sex with someone of the same gender, but nearly 1 in 3 Italians say they would like to have a homosexual experience.

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