Throughout modern history there has been a stigma surrounding LGBTQ+ individuals, and whilst it has declined in recent decades, it is still a factor that affects many people in society. In this essay I will analyse the issues caused  by this societal stigma, what has led to the decline of this stigma and how it still manifests today. 

The stigma society places on same-sex couples comes with countless negative effects for the individuals in these relationships. One of the major effects of a stigma, is that it creates an acceptance in society for the stigmatised group to be victimised. In Herek’s (2009) study of sexual minority adults, he found that 50% had experienced verbal harassment, nearly ¼ had been threatened with violence (35.4% of gay men) and 10% had experienced housing or employment discrimination. In a similar study, D’Augelli et al (2006) found that 80% of LGB youth had experienced verbal victimisation and 11% had experienced physical victimisation. It is hard to believe that these figures would be even close to these amounts if it was not for the stigma attached to their sexuality.

Whilst stigma can be materialized in forms of verbal and physical aggression against same-sex couples, it also leaves a lasting impact on the mental wellbeing of LGBTQ- individuals. Over 1/3 of the respondents in Herek’s (2009) study believed that most people where they live think less of sexual minority individuals – and other surveys would show that this is not  an incorrect assumption. Participants in Herek’s (2002) study of the public opinion around homosexuals were more likely to regard gay men as mentally ill and in 1965, 70% of poll respondents believed that homosexuals were more harmful than helpful to American life (Herek,2002). 

The physical and mental toll of being victims of the stigma around same sex relationships has many permutations including: a decrease in relationship quality (Frost and LeBlanc,2023)  due to a lack of public acceptance (Doan et al, 2014) and reporting ‘less meaning in life’ (Rotosky and Riggle, 2017) . Rotosky and Riggle (2017) define the psychological stress resulting from belonging to a stigmatised social category as ‘minority stress’.  

Whilst it is hard to argue that the societal stigma around same-sex relationships has not reduced since the start of the 21st century, there is certainly an argument to be had that western culture still privileges heterosexual relationships and stigmatises same-sex relationshps (Rotosky and Riggle, 2017). In 2010, levels of segregation of same-sex partners was equal to other types of segregation such as race and class (Spring, 2013). There are also still legal boundaries that prevent LGBTQ+ individuals from being accepted into society. At the end of the 2009, only 21 US States had antidiscrimination laws that included sexual orientation (Hayslett and Kane, 2011) – and this has only increased by 2 to 23 in the last 16 years. Meaning that in 2025, less than half of US States provide antidiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. 

Whilst there have been legal successes in the fight against stigma of same-sex relationships, such as: same-sex marriage becoming legal in the whole of the USA in 2015 (Frost and LeBlanc, 2023) these do not always have effective outcomes. For example, Adamczyk and Pitt (2009) found that there is no significant relationship between Anti-homosexual laws and individual attitudes about homosexuality. Meaning that despite progressive policies being passed, many members of the public will still look down on LGBTQ+ individuals. 

Doan et al (2014) looked into these individual attitudes and found that heterosexuals are still less likely to support ‘informal privilegs’ such as public displays of affection for same-sex couples. Doan et al (2014) believes that modern day ‘homonegativity’ is grounded in the belief that LGBTQ+ individuals are making illegitimate demands for social change , and that equality/acceptance has already been reached for same-sex couples.

Despite these lingering downfalls of the fight against stigma of same-sex relationships, the 21st century has been a period of stigma decline overall. This can be seen in Kranjac et al’s (2021) study which found that acceptance of same-sex sexual relations rose by over 300% from 13.6% to 58.3%. This decline in societal stigma has been caused by a multitude of reasons.

If we look back at the issue of same-sex segregation, whilst this is still on par with other forms of social segregation, there have been step forwards. Spring (2013) found that the overall trend from 2000-2010 in the USA was a decline in same-sex household segregation, which may promote tolerance and greater equality. It is also possible that segregation and ‘gay neighbourhoods’ in the 20th century were a necessary evil in order to provide protection and create a sense of pride within gay communities.

Recent changes in the family structure has also played a vital role in allowing for greater acceptance and visibility of the LGBTQ+ population, and in doing so has caused the stigma around same-sex relationships to decline. The home can be one of the greatest areas for stigma and homophobia to develop and oppress children’s identities. D’Augelli et al (2006) found that 80% of fathers of gender-atypical males were negative about their gender atypicality and that nearly 1/3 of ‘gender atypical’ youth reported their parents discouraging gender-atypical behaviour. However, in today’s society (in the western world) we have looser inter-generational ties (Rosenfeld, 2007) and less young people living with parents and grandparents during their youth. Rosenfeld (2007) believes that this has allowed for more personal freedoms and increased the amount of ‘non-traditional unions’ as youth are no longer dependent on their families acceptance. 

The success of women’s rights campaigning has also allowed for much more personal freedom for women when it comes to romantic relationships. Before World War Two, women almost always required the financial support of either a male in order to survive – thus forcing women into heterosexual marriages (Rosenfeld, 2007). However, as in modern society we have a much larger female workforce and legal successes such as the Equal Pay Act (1970), two women have the ability to be in a financially viable same-sex relationship.

Whilst Adamczyk and Pitt (2009) found that there is no significant relationship between anti-homosexual laws and individual attitudes, Kranjac et al (2021) argues that the legalisation of same-sex marriage stigmatises anti-gay beliefs and creates more acceptance towards LGBTQ+ individuals and couples.

Other recent societal changes in the West such as a decline in marriage rates (ONS, 2024), increased divorce rates and a decline in religious influence have all helped to combat the societal stigma around same-sex relationships. Adamczyk and Pitt (2009) found that married individuals are more likely to disapprove of homosexuality than single or divorced individuals and that individuals who find religion ‘important’ are more likely to disapprove of homosexuality than those who do not. These findings are reinforced by Treas (2002) who found that the rise of secularism is associated with greater tolerance of homosexuality. 

Nearly all of these societal changes can be associated with one, fairly simple change in society. Older people being replaced by younger people. Older people are more likely to disapprove of homosexuality than younger people (Adamczyk and Pitt, 2009) and it is likely that they also place greater importance on marriage and religion than younger cohorts. Kranjac et al (2021) described this transition as the liberalisation of social attitudes – when new generations with more ‘liberal’ views replace older, more conservative generations. 

Whilst the 21st century has undeniably been a period of stigma decline around same-sex relationships in the majority of western nations, it is hard to not raise some concerns for the future of same-sex relationships and LGBTQ+ individuals as a collective. 

The far-right has been on the rise in much of Europe and the western world. Viktor Orban’s Hungary have passed an amendment which bans LGBTQ+ gatherings (The Guardian, 2025). The USA elected a president in Donald Trump who, according to Pink News (2025), has launched 225+ attacks on LGBTQ+ rights. Reform UK, whose support has surged in local elections (The Guardian, 2025), were in the news just last year after a group of Reform UK campaigners were caught making homophobic comments (BBC News, 2025). The UK Supreme court also stripped back trans rights last month, ruling that a ‘woman’ only refers to a ‘biological women’ and banned trans people from using services such as toilets of the gender they idenitify as, causing a ‘genuine crisis’ for trans people according to the Guardian (2025). These all contribute to a growing concern for the rights of same-sex relationships.

The 21st century has seen Western society become much more accepting of same-sex relationships due to: societal changes - such as the rise of secularism and looser inter-generational ties; legal achievements - such as the legalisation of same-sex marriage as well as monumental efforts from campaign groups to reduce the societal stigma around same-sex relationships. It is imperative that we do not let the hatred of a few destroy this progress achieved by the many. We must ensure we can look back in another 25 years and say that, truly, love will always defeat hate.

Bibliography:

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