Religiosity, social media, and sexual orientation as predictors of attitude towards LGBTQ+ group among residents in Nigeria

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other diverse identities (LGBTQ+) continue to be an emerging issue in the 21st century worldwide. Studies have examined factors that predict attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community with varying results. This study focuses on investigating religiosity, social media, and sexual orientation as predictors of attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community amongst residents in Nigeria. The survey employs a cross-sectional design and uses purposive sampling to select three Local Government Areas. Data were collected from 202 participants using four validated scales. The collected data were analyzed through zero-order correlation, t-test of independent sample, and multiple regression analysis. The study tested four hypotheses at a significance level of p 0.05, revealing that religiosity, social media, and sexual orientation jointly predicted attitudes towards LGBTQ+ community. The findings reveal that both religiosity and sexual orientation significantly affected attitudes toward LGBTQ+. In contrast, attitudes towards LGBTQ+ were not influenced by social media. This study's novelty lies in uncovering how people's beliefs, values, cultures, and principles center on their attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community. It is recommended that the government and various institutions increase public awareness regarding LGBTQ+ issues to guide parents, adolescents, youth, and the public towards improved societal acceptance.