The Attitudes of a Sample of

Barbadian Teenagers Aged 16 to

18 Towards Homosexuality
Caribbean Studies School-Based Assessment
Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination

2013
2013
Name: Akela Marshall

Candidate Number:

School:

Centre Number:
 Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Literature Review 6

Data Collection Sources 10

Presentation and Analysis of Data 11

Discussion 19

Conclusion, Limitations and Recommendations 22

Bibliography 24

Appendix 25

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 Introduction

Background to the Problem

Homosexuality is a very controversial topic, both in the Caribbean and around the

world. The Mirriam – Webster online dictionary defines the word ‘homosexual’ as: of, relating

to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward another of the same sex or of,

relating to, or involving sexual intercourse between persons of the same sex.

Around the world, various opinions on homosexuality are to be found. Many countries

have laws against homosexuality. In the past homosexuality was thought to be a disease and

homosexuals were diagnosed with a mental disorder. In 1973 the American Psychiatric

Association removed homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental

Disorders, thus negating its previous definition of homosexuality as a clinical mental disorder.

This began the change in opinions of homosexuals. They began campaigning for equal and civil

rights and against discrimination aimed towards the Lesbian, Gay, bisexual and transgender

community (the LGBT community). Despite this many countries still have laws against

homosexuality with penalties as severe as life sentences in some cases. Also, in countries like

Jamaica many hate crimes are committed against homosexuals. According to time.com Jamaica

is considered to be “the most homophobic place on earth” due to the many crimes that are

committed against gays. For example, two of the island's most prominent gay activists, Brian

Williamson and Steve Harvey, have been murdered — and a crowd even celebrated over

Williamson's mutilated body (Padget, 2006).

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 However, due to constant pressure, laws against homosexuality are being rescinded. For

example, on September 20th 2011, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, which prevented openly gay

persons in America to serve in the army, was repealed. Also many states in the U.S and many

countries around the world have now made gay marriage legal.

Statement of the Problem

Most countries in the Caribbean have not joined the movement which legalises

homosexuality. In countries like Barbados, homosexual acts are still illegal and can be punished

by a life sentence, even though this law is not enforced. However, a group called The Barbados

Gays and Lesbians Against Discrimination (BGLAD) is actively campaigning in Barbados for equal

rights for all homosexuals. They face great opposition however because many persons are still

adamant that homosexuals should be denied certain things. Very recently the head of the

Barbados Boy Scouts has announced that the organization will not accept any homosexuals.

Purpose of the Research

This research intends to assess the extent to which Barbadian teenagers are exposed to

homosexuality and whether or not homosexuality is present/prevalent in Barbados. It is also

meant to determine how Barbadian teenagers feel about homosexuals and homosexuality on a

whole. Also, it seeks to determine what factors influence Barbadian teenagers’ opinions about

homosexuals, whether it may be the media, their peers or their religion.

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Problem Statement

The Attitudes of a sample of Barbadian teenagers aged 16 to 18 towards homosexuality.

Research Questions

This study aims to answer the following questions:

 To what extent are Barbadian teenagers exposed to homosexuality?

 What are the attitudes of Barbadian teenagers towards homosexuality?

 What factors influence Barbadian teenagers’ opinion on homosexuality?

Value of the Research

This research can be used by persons in power to determine the society’s thoughts

about homosexuality and to choose what stance they should take during political campaigning.

It can also be used by persons studying the behaviour of people towards homosexuals and can

be used to identify why people treat homosexuals as they do. In this era where human

development encompasses equity, discrimination on the basis of sexual preference is being

challenged. Therefore the findings of this research should be quite valuable to the entire

society, but particularly to those who are concerned with stemming the tide of discrimination

and violence and promoting harmonious relations within the society.

Definition of Terms

Homosexuality- Sexual and/or romantic attraction or behaviours between members of the

same gender.

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Homophobia- A range of negative attitudes and behaviours towards homosexuals such as fear
or hatred.

Discrimination-Prejudicial treatment of an individual/ group based on member ship- or

perceived membership- to a certain group/category.

Bisexuality- Sexual behaviour or an orientation of an individual

involving physical or romantic attraction to males as well as females.

Straight- Slang referring to a heterosexual individual.

Gay-Slang for a homosexual person widely used to refer to homosexual males.

Stigma- See discrimination.

Sexual Orientation- This describes a pattern of emotional, romantic and/or sexual attraction
and a sense of personal and social identity based on these attractions.

Heterosexual- Sexually oriented to persons of the opposite sex.

LGBT- Acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender.

Lesbian- Used to refer to homosexual women only.

Transgender- General term applied to a variety of individuals and groups involving tendencies
to vary from traditional/cultural conventional gender roles.

Pansexual - Not limited or inhibited in sexual choice with regard to gender or activity

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 Literature Review

Scientific and medical understanding is that sexual orientation is not a choice, but

rather a complex interplay of biological and environmental factors, especially with regard to

early uterine environment. While there are those who still hold the view that homosexual

activity is "unnatural" or "dysfunctional", research has shown that homosexuality is an example

of a normal and natural variation in human sexuality and is not in and of itself a source of

negative psychological effects. The term homophobia was first introduced in 1967 to describe

irrationally negative attitudes towards homosexual persons (Weinberg, 1972). In recent days

homophobia is described as is a fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexual

people. When such attitudes manifest as crimes they are often called hate crimes and gay

bashing. A 2011 Dutch study concluded that 49% of Holland's youth and 58% of youth foreign

to the country reject homosexuality. In the United States, the FBI reported that 15.6% of hate

crimes reported to police in 2004 were based on perceived sexual orientation. Sixty-one

percent of these attacks were against gay men. Also in the US, teenage students heard anti-gay

slurs such as “homo”, “faggot” and “sissy” about 26 times a day on average, or once every 14

minutes, according to a 1998 study by Mental Health America.

There is a growing recognition of the importance of equity to development, and many

development agencies recognise equity as a central goal for their programming. Equity comes

from the idea of moral equality, that people should be treated as equals. If equity is to be

achieved, there can be no discrimination against persons simply because of their sexual

orientation. However in many countries, homosexuality is not allowed by law, and if it is,

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homosexuals are not granted the same rights as heterosexuals. For example, in the United

States only ten states and the district of Columbia allow same-sex marriage. Views on the use

and role of public opinion in forming policy can often be as diverse as the opinions themselves.

Winston Churchill took the view that there was "no such thing as public opinion. There is only

published opinion". While Abraham Lincoln's take was simply: "Public opinion in this country is

everything". As such, unless there is a greater outcry by the public for the equitable treatment

of homosexuals, laws which discriminate against them are not likely to be changed. According

to a report done by Caribbean Development Research Systems Incorporated (CADRES) entitled

Attitudes Toward Homosexuals in Barbados (2004), “the extent to which people feel that

homosexual acts should be legal is a good indicator of people’s attitude towards

homosexuals...”. CADRES (2004) and UWI (2011) both determined that the majority of persons

opposed decriminalization of homosexual acts, specifically between male consenting adults.

There is also the perception that homosexuality is a learned behaviour and according to both

CADRES (2004) and UWI (2011) attitudes are influenced by this perception.

Gender, media, religion, socialization (family and peers) and the laws of the country

were all identified in the literature as factors which influenced the opinions on homosexuality.

According to CADRES (2004), when Barbadians were asked their feelings towards

homosexuals as: friends, family members, employees, employers, teachers, public officials

and/or children; males consistently preferred not to have homosexuals as any of these

categories.

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 “While the results show that both men and women exhibit strong negative attitudes

towards homosexuality, these negative views are stronger among males and this difference is

statistically significant. In the focus group discussions, males tended to be more vocal than

females in their opposition to homosexuality.” (UWI, 2011) This indicates gender has an impact

of the attitude of a person towards homosexuality. However in the case of children the CADRES

(2004) study found that 63% of males preferred not to have a homosexual child when

compared with 55% of females. CADRES (2004) states that “...women are most

concerned...about their children, but even here there is an 8 point percentage point difference”

and “In this regard the difference is statistically significant which implies that gender does

influence attitudes towards homosexuals.”

According to the literature, the media also has a major influence on perceptions of

homosexuality. This is evident in the work of Murray (2009) in which the impact of media on

the perceptions of homosexuality is quite vividly highlighted. He suggests that the

sensationalism by the media and the use of negative language influences attitudes towards

homosexuality and this is only exacerbated by the oligopoly of the Barbadian mediascape.

Much work is being done in developed countries like the United States and the United

Kingdom regarding the reduction of discrimination against homosexuals by the law. Whereas,

Clinton (2011) suggests the need to change laws to reduce discrimination; in the Caribbean

there is still much opposition to change.

“But progress comes from changes in laws…. Laws have a teaching effect. Laws that

discriminate, validate other kinds of discrimination. Laws that require equal protections

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reinforce the moral imperative of equality. And practically speaking, it is often the case that

laws must change before fears about change dissipate.” (Clinton, 2011)

In the context of Barbados, the Barbados Constitution seemingly contradicts the Family Law Act

and the Sexual Offenses act. The Barbados Constitution states in chapter III, section 23

(Protection from discrimination on ground of race, etc.), subsection 1 (a) that “Subject to the

provisions of this section no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself

or in its effect; and”, in subsection 1(b) “no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner

by any person acting by virtue of any written law or in the performance of the functions of any

public office or any public authority.” It goes on to define discriminatory in subsection 2; “In this

section the expression "discriminatory" means affording different treatment to different

persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin,

political opinions, colour or creed whereby persons of one such description are subjected to

disabilities or restrictions to which person of another such description are not made subject or

are accorded privileges or advantages which are not afforded to persons of another such

description.” Then in subsection 6, the constitution explicitly states that “Nothing contained in

or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention

of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision whereby persons of any

such description as is mentioned in subsection (2) may be subjected to any restriction on the

rights and freedoms guaranteed ...”. However, under the Family Law Act, chapter 214,

paragraph 388, marriage is recognized as the exclusive union of a man and a woman “to the

exclusion of all others.” This clearly outlaws same-sex relations.

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 Data Collection Sources

Preliminary research was carried out in order to ascertain whether or not the topic was

indeed researchable. Numerous sources including books, online articles and reports were found

and these sources facilitated a literature review.

Applied research was used in conducting this study. The study collected data from

teenagers aged 16-18 in a government secondary school in Barbados. The method of data

collection chosen was an electronic questionnaire in order to facilitate a study based on

quantitative data. 20 students were chosen by convenient sampling. The researcher obtained

permission from the principal as well as the parents to conduct the study because of the

sensitive nature of the topic at hand. A questionnaire was then designed by the researcher (see

Appendix I) and a pilot questionnaire was conducted among a group of students to ensure that

the items were clearly understood and interpreted. A sixteen item questionnaire was then

distributed to the students, they were not allowed to collaborate. The questionnaire was

comprised of 13 forced-choice questions and 3 open ended questions.

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 Presentation and Analysis of Data
Presentation of Data

Of the twenty respondents, twelve were female and eight were male.

12
Number of Respondents

15
8
10 Female Male
5 Female
Male
0

Gender

Eighteen of the respondents identified themselves as heterosexuals. The other two

respondents, both female, identified themselves as bisexual and pansexual respectively.

Sexuality
5% 5%
0%
Heterosexual
Homosexual
Bisexual
90% Other

All twenty respondents correctly identified homosexuality as being a sexual attraction to

(or sexual relations with) persons of the same sex.

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 Of the twenty respondents, only six had friends or family members who were

homosexual while four did not. However, ten of them were unsure whether or not they did.

When asked if they would form any type of relationship with a homosexual thirteen of

the respondents said they would, while six said they were unsure whether they would or not.

Only one respondent stated they would not.

When asked about their faith seventeen respondents stated they were Christian, one

respondent was Hindu while two were non-religious.

Religion
Christian Hindu Muslim Non-Religious

10%
0%
5%

85%

The respondents were then asked whether or not their religious beliefs influenced their

views on homosexuality. Three stated that they greatly impacted their attitudes towards

homosexuality, nine stated that it somewhat influenced their attitudes and the remaining eight

stated that their religious views had no effect on their opinions on homosexuality.

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 Whether Religious Beliefs Affected Their
Attitudes Towards Homosexuality Or Not

3
Greatly
Responses 9
Somewhat
8 Not At All

0 2 4 6 8 10

A follow up question was then posed to the respondents, it asked how their religious

views shaped their attitude towards homosexuality. This question was applicable to twelve of

the respondents. Eleven of those respondents indicated that their religion not only viewed their

religion as morally wrong but as a biological dead end. However, four of those eleven

respondents stated that while they disapproved of homosexuality, they had no discriminatory

feelings towards homosexuals themselves. The remaining respondent stated that though their

previous religion condemned homosexuality they were on the opposite end of the spectrum of

opinions. They replied to the question saying: "...The attitude of many Christians turned me

away from Christianity as well as made me very tolerant of homosexuals because of the

negativity directed towards them by religious fanatics. The Bible is used to justify discrimination

against homosexuals so my exposure to religion made me the opposite of many religious

people."

Respondents were then asked to identify which types of media they regularly use. 50%

of all respondents regularly used print. The majority of the respondents, 80%, regularly

watched television. By comparison less than half of the respondents listened to the radio

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regularly, only 45%. All respondents, however, used the internet regularly. 70% of respondents

watched films regularly.

25

20
20
16 Print
15 14
Television
10 Radio
10 9
Web

5 Films

0
Print Television Radio Web Films

Respondents were then asked the frequency with which homosexuality was mentioned

in their preferred types of media. Two respondents stated that homosexuality was only

mentioned rarely. Nine students stated that it was mentioned very often while another nine

students indicated that homosexuality was mentioned often.

Frequency with which Homosexuality was

Mentioned in the Respondents preferred
type of Media

0 All the Time

9 Very Often
Responses 9
Often
2
Rarely
0
Not At All

0 2 4 6 8 10

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 The respondents were ten asked if the media influenced their opinion on

homosexuality. The pie chart below illustrates their answers.

Whether the media has Influenced Opinions

on Homosexuality
Not At All Somewhat Greatly

5%

45%

50%

A follow up question was then posed to the respondents, this question asked how the

presence of homosexuality in the media affected their attitude towards homosexuality. This

question was applicable to eleven of the respondents, however, only eight of them answered.

Seven of those eight respondents indicated that the media had given them a more positive

view on homosexuality. The remaining respondent stated that the media has "broadened my

view and changed my perspective" however, they were still unsure about their feelings toward

homosexuals.

Next respondents were asked what they believed the consequences for homosexual

acts were in Barbados. The following doughnut illustrates their responses.

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 A Doughnut Illustrating What Respondents
Believed the Consequence for Homosexual
Acts in Barbados is

5%
None; it's legal
25%
Pay a fine
55% Life Sentence in Person
15% Unsure

The next question was a follow up question, it asked respondents whether or not they think the

laws concerning homosexuals need to be changed based on their previous answer. The

following bar graph illustrates their answers.

Whether or not Respondents Believe the Law

Needs to be Changed

6 Yes
No
10
Undecided

0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Number of Respondents

The final question was a follow up question, it asked respondents how the laws should

be changed if they should be changed. This question was only applicable to only four of the

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respondents. All four the respondents echoed similar sentiments, saying that laws should be

implemented which "promote equality" and allow homosexuals "their right to love, have sex

with and marry who they want."

Analysis of Data

The purpose of this study was to identify to what extent Barbadian teenagers are

exposed to homosexuality, ascertain what Barbadian teenagers' attitudes towards

homosexuality are and also to identify what factors influence Barbadian teenagers’ opinion on

homosexuality.

The results of this study indicate that Barbadian teenagers are exposed to

homosexuality on a regular basis. The majority of persons in this study indicate that

homosexuality is often referenced in the media that they use. The fact that all of the

respondents were able to correctly define homosexuality may be attributed to this. The fact

that 30% of the respondents have homosexual friends or family members can also be a

contributing factor. These figures indicate a rising level of awareness about homosexuality

among teenagers.

Though the majority of the respondents did not or were unsure whether or not they had

homosexual friends or family members 65% were amenable to the idea of having homosexual

friends or family members. 30% of the respondents were unsure whether or not they would be

amenable but only 5% were opposed to the idea. This indicates a change in thinking, previous

studies indicated that the majority of teenagers were opposed to homosexuality. The extent to

which Barbadian teenagers are exposed to homosexuality while educating them on what it is

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can also be credited for changing their opinions on homosexuality. Though the respondents

were more educated about homosexuality on a whole they were relatively ignorant about laws

about homosexuality in Barbados. When asked about the penalty for homosexual acts in

Barbados only 15% were able to correctly identify it. Of that 15% 2/3 wanted the laws to be

changed. 55% of the respondents were unsure of the penalty and a similar number were

unsure whether or not the laws needed to be changed. 25% incorrectly believed that the

penalty was paying a fine; 40% of the 25% believed that the laws did not have to be changed

while 20% did, the remaining 40% were unsure. Only 5% believed it was legal, that 5% also

believed that homosexuality should remain legal. The majority of those that identified a penalty

for homosexual acts believed there should be one indicating that even though the persons who

participated in this study are more tolerant toward homosexuals they do not believe that

homosexuality should be allowed.

This change in thinking can be attributed to factors such as the media. The majority of

the respondents indicated that the media had an impact of their thinking about homosexuality,

however it was a slim majority. Those that indicated it did, had a positive change in their

thinking, however around the same amount said that their religion had a negative effect on

their opinions about homosexuality. This indicates that though many factors have an influence

on opinions about homosexuality some have a greater impact than others. In this case, the

media is a greater driving force on opinions about homosexuality, where as religion is taking

more of a backseat so to speak. This reflects the opinions shared by Murray (2009), with a

change in how the media represents homosexuality there has been a change in how the

general population thinks about homosexuality.

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 Discussion of Findings
The purpose of this study, as stated before, was to identify to what extent Barbadian

teenagers are exposed to homosexuality, ascertain what Barbadian teenagers' attitudes

towards homosexuality are and also to identify what factors influence Barbadian teenagers’

opinion on homosexuality.

Homosexuality is defined correctly by all of the respondents. This indicates more

knowledge and exposure to the topic of homosexuality than was present at the time of

previous studies. CADRES (2004) found that small but significant percentages of respondents

accepted and hated homosexuals and nearly half of the respondents tolerated homosexuals.

The findings of this study indicate that teenagers now are comfortable with homosexuals it also

indicates that opinions have changed much between 2004 when the CADRES study was done

and 2013 when this study was done. This has implications for development, negative attitudes

have an impact on the quality of life for homosexuals and seeing as quality of life and equity are

very important in determining the level of development in a country the progression of thinking

indicates that the level of development in Barbados has increased.

Factors which had an influence on attitudes towards homosexuality were (in order of

influence) the media, family, friends and religion. According to the literature, the media does

have a major impact on perceptions of homosexuality. Murray (2009) suggests that the

sensationalism by the media and the use of negative language influences attitudes towards

homosexuality. The results of this study support this view, many of the respondents indicated

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that the media made them think more positively about homosexuality. However, the media

which most of the respondents were exposed to was that of international media.

UWI (2011) suggests that, “… there can be no doubt that religion plays a significant role

in determining attitudes towards homosexuality.” The results of this study coincide with the

findings in the study conducted by UWI in 2011, many respondents indicated that their religion

helped them to form opinions on homosexuality. However, though religion plays a significant

role in determining attitudes other factors have more of an influence on attitudes towards

homosexuality than religion. This may be because teenagers now are less invested in church

and are becoming increasingly secular. According to UWI (2011), however, it is difficult to

determine the precise role of religion in forming attitudes and “… statistically speaking there is

no evidence from this survey that attending church or religious activities drives anti-

homosexual attitudes or behaviour.” This is actually consistent with the findings of this study

because religion actually has the least influence on teenagers’ opinions about homosexuality.

According to CADRES (2004), when Barbadians were asked their feelings towards

homosexuals as friends and family members; males consistently preferred not to have

homosexuals as any of these categories. In this study however, the respondents did not mind

having homosexual friends or family members.

“While the results show that both men and women exhibit strong negative attitudes

towards homosexuality, these negative views are stronger among males and this difference is

statistically significant...” (UWI, 2011). The results of this study directly contradict this

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statement. The overwhelming majority of males and females in this study were accepting of

homosexuality.

Even though society on a whole is moving away from discriminatory practises it is still

conflicted on the issue of homosexuality. This study shows that although many recognise that

homosexuals are human beings as well, they are ignorant about the laws in Barbados which

discriminate against homosexuals. Therefore it is unlikely that equality for homosexuals will be

achieved in Barbados in the near future.

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 Conclusion

The attitudes towards homosexuality in Barbados have evolved since last a study was

done. The media is the major influence which caused a change in the attitudes towards

homosexuality. Though teenagers seem to be more educated about homosexuals, they are still

uneducated about the discrimination which homosexuals face in Barbados because of its laws.

Unfortunately, though teenagers appear to be more receptive of homosexuals and the idea of

homosexuality, there is still heated debate among those in the older generations as to whether

or not homosexuals should be given equal rights.

There is an active LGBT association in Barbados which is campaigning for equal rights for

homosexuals. In the coming years, the entrance of the current generation of teenagers into

society may spark a louder public outcry and changes in the laws which discriminate against

homosexuality may become reality.

Limitations

The time allocated for the execution of this study was restricted, thus limiting the

amount of research that could be carried out. Also, the sample size used in this study was

particularly small which does not allow for generalized conclusions to be made. Some

respondents did not answer questions which makes the data collected in this study incomplete.

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Recommendations

The media should continue to be used to promote tolerance and educate about

homosexuality. Also, programs should be implemented which teach about the importance of

equality in order to continue to change opinions on homosexuality. Laws which discriminate

against homosexuals should be changed in order to promote equality and foster human

development.

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 Bibliography

Padget, T. (2006) The Most Homophobic Place on Earth?

Murray David A.B. (2009) Homophobias: Lust and Loathing Across Time and Space, Duke
University Press

Caribbean Development Researchers Inc., (2004) Attitudes toward Homosexuals in Barbados,

Caribbean Development Researchers Inc.

Government of Barbados, 1992, Cap. 154 Sexual Offenses Act, Government of Barbados

Government of Barbados, 1966, The Barbados Independence Order 1966, Government of

Barbados

Government of Barbados, 1955, Family Law Act, Government of Barbados

Boxill Ian, Martin Joulene, Russell Roy, Walker Lloyd, Meikle Tracian, Mitchell Rashalee, 2011,
National Survey of Attitudes and Perceptions of Jamaicans Towards Same Sex Relations,
Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work, University of the West Indies Mona
Campus

Weinberg, George (1972) Society and the Healthy Homosexual

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 Appendix
Appendix 1 - Questionnaire

1. How old are you? _______

2. What is your gender?

Male
Female

3. What is your sexual orientation

Heterosexual
Homosexual
Bisexual
Other:_________________________

4. What is homosexuality?
A sexual attraction to (or sexual relations with) persons of the same sex.
A contagious disease
A mental illness
Other: ________________________

5. Do you have any friends who identify themselves as homosexuals?

Yes
No
Unsure

6. Would you associate with or form any type of relationship with a homosexual?
Yes
No
Unsure

7. What is your religion?

Christian
Hindu
Muslim
Non-Religious

8.

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9. Would you say that your religion has influenced your opinions on homosexuality
Not At All
Somewhat
Greatly

10. If yes, how so?

11. What types of media do you regularly use? (Please select all that apply.)
Print
Television
Radio
Web
Films

12. How often is homosexuality referenced in the media you use?

Not At All
Rarely
Often
Very Often
All the time

13. Has the media influenced your opinion on homosexuality?

Not At All
Somewhat
Greatly

14. If yes, how so?

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15. What is the consequence for homosexual acts in Barbados?
None; it's legal
Pay a fine
Life sentence in prison
Unsure

16. Do you think the policy on homosexuals needs to be changed?

Yes
No
Unsure

17. If, yes what changes should be implemented?

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