Homophobia Study

The study, which was carried out by the University of Kiel, surveyed the attitudes of some 1,000 high-school students between the ages of 14 and 20 in Berlin. It found a clear link between homophobia and cultural background.

For example, when asked whether they would be disgusted by the sight of two people of the same sex kissing, 79 percent of respondents with a Turkish background said "yes." Seventy-six percent of those with a Russian background also answered in the affirmative -- compared with only 48 percent of respondents with a German background.

A spokesperson for the German Association of Gays and Lesbians, Günter Dworek, said he was alarmed by the study's findings.

"Homophobia is not a harmless misdemeanor," Dworek told the AFP news agency. "It has negative effects on people's ability to live together in society."

The head of the study, Bernd Simon, said homophobia was likely even more prevalent in Germany as a whole since Berlin is known for its relative tolerance toward non-traditional lifestyles.

Masculine norms

The study revealed that male respondents of all backgrounds tended to be more homophobic than females.

Two key factors appear to be ideas of masculinity and religion. The study underscored "the significance of traditional masculine norms and religiosity in the development of anti-homosexual attitudes," Dworek said.

A spokeswoman from the Turkish Association of Berlin-Brandenburg, Eren Ünsal, said she was not surprised by the results of the study but cautioned against making generalizations that all Muslims are homophobic.

She said she hoped young Muslims could be encouraged to rethink their attitudes step-by-step.

"The point is what sort of beliefs get passed on to the next generation," Ünsal told the DPA news agency.

The German Association of Gays and Lesbians said it would invite immigrant advocacy groups to meet with them in an attempt to find ways of combating the problem.