More Americans are Becoming More Anti-Gay

A new study shows that the past five years reveal a worrisome trend. More Americans are becoming more Anti-Gay.

NEW STUDY SHOWS INCREASE IN ANTI-GAY BIAS

When it comes to attitudes and tolerance toward gays and lesbians, from about 2000-2020 America experienced an historically rapid pace of moving from an unfavorable view toward a favorable one.

Such a shift in just 20 years is pretty incredible. Considering how long it took for movements like women’s suffrage and segregation to find footing, legislative support, and eventually tip over into mainstream acceptance, the cultural shift towards gay rights is impressive. The 1980’s were ripe with anti-gay sentiment during the AIDS crisis, yet gay marriage became legal at the federal level in 2015.

That’s a quick and shocking turnaround.

However, we are starting to see trends of another turnaround.

According to a recent study, “The decades-long rise in the acceptance of gay people in the United States peaked around 2020 and has sharply reversed since then.”¹

Meaning, the last five years have seen movement back toward both explicit and implicit anti-gay bias.

This is troubling.

Though I would say it tracks anecdotally with stories I’ve heard from my gay and lesbian friends. The sense I’ve gotten is that it has felt to them just a little less… safe? secure? normal?… to be themselves these past few years. The data shows they’re not crazy.

In just four years, anti-gay bias has risen by around 10%.

Speaking of the data, it’s not just anti-gay bias that has picked up steam in the past five years. Though not as intense an increase, bias against people based on darker skin color, old age, disabilities, and overweight people have also gone up during the same time period.

I imagine some of you read this and just sort of nod your head as in, “Well yeah, duh. Isn’t that obvious?” And maybe it is, depending on what kinds of algorithmic silos you’re in, where you get your news, and what social circles you run in. But sometimes (actually, I’d wager most of the times), such silos and vibe checks can mislead us as often as they inform us.

I guess that’s why reading this Op-Ed from the NYT yesterday felt different to me. This time there’s actual data supporting what has felt true for the past several years.

And what has felt true?

That our country has been slowly turning its back on our better angels.

Instead of moving closer toward a society that sees people as equals, that sees fellow humans as fellow humans worthy of dignity, rights, and respect, many are moving in the opposite direction. Throw a stone and you’ll find increased skepticism of the Other, and increased preference for those who are just like us.

As to why we’re seeing these trends of increased anti-gay (anti-black; anti-overweight; anti-disabled) biases?

I’ve got three thoughts.

1) TRIBALISM IS EASIER AND MORE NATURAL

First, the movement toward sameness is a return to the path of tribalism. At our core we want to be around people who are more like us than not. This path is the oldest path. It is the path our lizard brains (the oldest, most ancient parts of our brains) urge us to take.

For millions of years we evolved to favor those who are like us. That’s where survival was found. Difference and diversity were understandably frightening. Stick with your tribe or risk death.

By contrast, it’s only been a few thousand years where humans have experimented with a different enterprise: co-existing with different kinds of people.

To use biblical language, the path of tribalism—where we prefer those who look like us, talk and think like us, and build the same kinds of families and communities as we do—is the wide road. Many choose it because of course we do. Our ancient brains tell us it’s easier, safer, and better.

Of course, it also leads to destruction, at least according to Jesus (and God, in the Tower of Babel²).

Whereas the path of diversity—where we do the hard work of learning about people different from us, where we do our best to co-exist and integrate, where we accept that our way isn’t the only or the right or the best way—that’s the narrow road. Few choose it because, quite frankly, it’s hard.

Yet it leads to flourishing.
It leads to a richer, more full life.

Our better angels are those parts of us that urge us to see all humans as equals. To love and care for and respect all people, especially those who are different and/or who may be struggling. But those better angels are young, and often no match against the much older and stronger bad angels who convince us to fear the Other.

2) PRO-GAY BECAME THE ESTABLISHMENT

The second reason I suspect this is happening is well stated by the authors of the Op-Ed (who were also the researches of the study). They say that one factor to explain the rise of anti-gay bias is an increase in anti-establishment sentiments.

Since 2020, and all the social disruptions that came from it (Covid, most notably), we’ve seen an utter collapse in confidence toward institutions. Governments, corporations, broader establishments of universities and medical professionals. Trust in all of these has tanked.

Germane to this topic, unfortunately, by 2020, support for gay and lesbian equality had also become an establishment position. Which meant that, “Gay and lesbian people, newly woven into the fabric of mainstream society, may have been collateral damage in a broader revolt against a system that felt broken, especially among younger generations grappling most intensely with uncertainty about their future.”

For some Americans it seems that supporting gay rights felt too much like supporting the larger establishment.

In simple terms: Oh really, Target? You’re going to have a whole section dedicated to LGBT Pride month? We’ll see about that!

3) THE TRICKLE DOWN ETHICS OF THE WHITE HOUSE

Finally, the third set of feet I would place the blame for all of this is on the President. While much could be said here, what I’m specifically thinking of is how he has successfully managed to normalize not just ignoring our better angels, but mocking their very desires.

For the failed businessman who runs our country like a King, deriding those who are different from you is a virtue. It’s not just that he doesn’t make an effort to try and make our country more equal, fair, and in-line with our supposed ideals, it’s that he favors mocking those on the margins, excluding those who aren’t like him, and demonizing diversity.

He is a manifestation of pure lizard brain. And pure lizard brain, millions of years ago, is one thing… but when you combine it with unlimited power, it’s terrifying.

The idea of trickle-down economics is clearly a farce. A scam Republican leaders sold to their hungry base. It is the Krispy Kreme of economic models: obviously hollow and unfulfilling but it looks and smells so good that you eat it anyway. But a stomach ache and an emptier wallet is only ever the outcome.

But where trickle-down has been wildly successful is when it comes to ethics and morals. The convicted felon who sits in the Oval Office has modeled for millions of Americans that it’s totally fine to give in to your primate, ignorant, boorish, juvenile, self-centered instincts.

Actually, it’s worse than that. He’s shown that such behavior will be rewarded.

So of course we see trends of anti-gay biases emerging as of late.

Being anti-gay (or anti-anything-different-than-me) is our default mode.

It takes effort and intention and desire to override those instincts.

It takes wanting to think better, to do better.

It takes a vision for how diversity is a better way.

It takes will power to navigate the challenges of taking the narrow path.

For many years a lot of Americans either caught that vision or at least felt enough social pressure to not resist it. (See: 2000-2020)

But now?

More and more people feel emboldened and empowered to not just ignore their better angels, but let their inner demons run amok.

God help us.

---

Q Christian Fellowship Annual Conference

The annual conference for Q Christian Fellowship is happening this coming weekend (Jan 22-25) right here in Portland, OR.

I’ll be there, let me know if you’re coming to! If you are, don’t miss the Saturday morning General Session, as I’m joining a panel during the Keynote Talk. Would love to say hi afterwards… and/or any other time just walking around the conference!

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/opinion/heated-rivalry-gay-prejudice.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

2. I write about this in my forthcoming book, But What About (St Martin’s Essentials)