The Association between Active Membership in Voluntary Organizations and Homonegativity

Homonegativity adversely affects the health and well-being of homosexuals in society, making it vital to identify factors associated with it. This study investigates whether active membership in voluntary organizations correlates with homonegativity. We analyzed the latest World Values Survey dataset, spanning 2017 to 2022, which encompasses 63 countries. Our findings suggest that active membership in certain voluntary organizations correlates with homonegativity levels among both men and women across various age groups. Specifically, active participation in sports or recreational organizations, professional associations, art, music, or educational organizations, and humanitarian or charitable organizations was found to be negatively correlated with homonegativity in specific gender-age groups, albeit with varying degrees of association strength. We postulate that this correlation might hint at causation, suggesting that active membership in these organizations promotes greater tolerance towards homosexuals and homosexuality. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that demographic and socio-economic variables, the political freedom of the respondent’s country, and the respondent’s life satisfaction are also linked to homonegativity.