HOMOPHOBIC VIOLENCE AMONG GAY MEN IN SANTIAGO DE CHILE

Abstract

This article explores homophobic violence among homosexual men in Santiago, Chile. The sample was non-probabilistic, online, with N=546 homosexual men. Two scales were applied: the Spanish version of the Attitudes Towards Gay Men (ATG) subscale of the Attitudes Towards Lesbians and Gay Men Scale (ATLG), validated in Chile by Cárdenas and Barrientos, and the Cuestionario sobre ideario de lo masculino y lo femenino (CMF). In addition, a series of questions were added to inquire about the experiences or perceptions of homophobic violence by other homosexual/gay men. Analyses were descriptive and correlational in nature. The main findings revealed that, on the scale of attitudes toward gay men (ATG), the average was 1.3, indicating a tendency toward positive attitudes. On the scale measuring conceptions of masculinity and femininity (CMF), the average was 5.2, indicating that most participants self-identify with a feminine gender identity. In addition, we found a negative correlation (Rho = -.284, p < ,01), suggesting that the greater the identification with traditional gender roles (masculinity), the greater the rejection of homosexuality. In conclusion, this study proves the existence of homophobic violence among homosexual men in the context of Santiago de Chile and, secondly, that masculinity is significantly related to the perception of homosexuality in people who self-identify as homosexual or gay men in the aforementioned capital city.