22% of UK population...

[monkeymamma]

'Wouldn't attend a wedding if it was between a same sex couple' according to Newsnight. I mean what the actual fuck? I don't know a single person who would say this. To me anyway. Apart from being vile homophobia it's so... Illogical. I just don't get how anyone could have a problem with two people getting married. AIBU?

[thecatneuterer]

Tanith MN really isn't representative of the nation though. For starters it's predominantly female. I would also say it's predominantly under 65 and predominantly middle class. All those are factors which make people much less likely than the average to be homophobic.

And what's wrong with a study of 1000 people finding that 200 are homophobic and extrapolating that to the rest of the population? It all depends on how well it was controlled for sex/age/ethnicity or cultural background/social class. If it managed to find a reasonably representative sample than that's a valid (ish) finding. (I don't expect it was done with any great academic research type rigour - but still ...)

[Pigletin]

Well I guess YANBU to be surprised, but t be honest I'm not. We all like to think that the UK is a very modern society and everybody is living in the 21st century, however here are some examples of the things that are still happening in this country as we speak: FGM, forced marriages, child labour, casual and not so casual racism, discrimination based on sex (look at the difference in earnings of men and women). Based on this, I am not surprised about homophobic views. It is very sad that some people live in the dark ages when it comes to these things.

[HectorVector]

I don't believe this statistic at all. You invite family and friends to your wedding, those that love you for what you are, I can't imagine anyone who loves you not attending your wedding because you were gay. Would a random stranger go to a wedding for a hetero or homo sexual coue, no probably not. Bizarre.

[iliketea]

I was surprised when I heard it, but then I listeners into a local radio show, and some of the comments shouldn't even have been broadcast.
(Shouldn't have been surprised, it's like a radio show version of the daily mail).

I think part of my problem is I just don't understand the argument against marriage equality - why shouldn't 2 adults show their commitment to one another regardless of gender? And as such, I'm shocked / stunned when people express such disdain for something which doesn't affect them in any way at all.

[Tanith]

thecatneuterer Neither is Radio 5 Live. I'd say it was even less representative of the UK population than Mumsnet.

There is everything wrong with using such a tiny sample and claiming it's representative of the whole of the UK. It's about as accurate and credible as my own result, i.e. a complete load of rubbish!

[thecatneuterer]

tanith I don't know how the survey was done. If it was a self-selecting group of Radio 5 listeners then of course it's not representative. But may be they did some sort of proper sampling. I really have no idea. However, the overall figure doesn't surprise me at all.

[granny24]

Actually that constitutes a fair sample size. The big pollsters have a sample size of around that for General Elections and they reckon to have a confidence level of +/- 3%.

[nickymanchester]

Tanith Fri 28-Mar-14 15:09:20
And Mumsnet is pretty representative of the nation

This is just such a funny statement. MN is just so far from being a representative sample of the the UK I don't quite now where to start with explaining it to you.

[dolphinsandwhales]

I would turn the invitation down, unless it was going to be low key and fun. I'm fed up of weddings, cash requests and bridezillas. Nothing to do with sex of the couple though.

[dolphinsandwhales]

Don't you think the 22% is Christians and Muslims and other religions who may oppose same sex marriages?

[MicrochipsAndMemories]

I'm only surprised it's not higher

I used to talk to my dad every day and he was perfectly fine with me being gay until I told him we were getting married. He hasn't spoken to me since, that was 3 years ago

[PosyFossilsShoes]

Made me so angry hearing some of the views tonight. I'm straight but must be so hurtful for those SS couples still facing such a moral backlash.

DumbleDee you're right, it is - surprisingly so. I tend to think I've got a pretty thick skin about homophobia now, but for some reason it's far worse hearing it from politicians and on vox pops than from randoms in the street.

And for those saying the 22% are Christians, Muslims and old people, I think you'd be surprised. My parents' priest wants the church to be allowed to conduct same sex marriages, for example, and my personal experience is that the WWII generation are more tolerant than their own children as regards race and sexuality.

And whilst the plural of anecdote isn't data, again my experience is that the late teens / early 20s seem to be the worst age for homophobia and I do wonder if it's connected to increasingly misogynistic and homophobic popular culture such as song lyrics. Although I suspect it's just arseholes being arseholes, and the group who have the confidence to yell at people on the street are not little old ladies.

[AgaPanthers]

Tis bollocks.

They asked people

"If you were invited to a same-sex wedding do you think you would or would not attend"

I mean it's a stupid hypothetical question that is meaningless.

ComRes say:

"A substantial proportion of the population still have reservations about same sex marriage with 42% disagreeing that they are no different from heterosexual marriages."

How is that 'having reservations'?

Of course same-sex marriages are different! It's stating the obvious, it doesn't mean you have reservations.

Load of old crap.

[shakethetree]

22% is actually quite low, most people I know can't stand any weddings lol

[LynetteScavo]

A Saturday wedding, where children are invited, with a paid bar? I'm there, whoever is getting married.

[JapaneseMargaret]

Microchips, that is heartbreaking. I'm so sorry.

[MinesAPintOfTea]

Microchips



But I think that more people would accept an invitation if a confirmed bachelor invited them than think they would now. My uncle only came fully out shortly before his partnership and all the daily mail reading and believing older generation (frequent anti-immigrant rants and all) came and said how lovely it was to see such a beautiful service.

[LongTimeLurking]

22% of the population are homophobic to some extent.... doesn't surprise me really.