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Heterosexual evaluations of hypothetical friendship behavior based on sex and sexual orientation

University of Michigan, amuraco{at}umich.edu

Heterosexual college students’ assessments of friendship behavior are compared based on the sex and sexual orientation of the friend in a series of hypothetical vignettes. Respondents evaluated the appropriateness of a friend’s behavior both qualitatively and quantitatively. The quantitative results support the hypothesis that the sex of the respondent, as well as the sex and sexual orientation of the friend, result in differential evaluations of friendship behavior. Specifically, heterosexual male respondents evaluate the behaviors more favorably when the friend is a straight, rather than gay, male. Straight females evaluate the behavior of straight females more positively than friends from other identity categories. Qualitative comments provide evidence that heterosexism and sexism inform the respondents’ evaluations. In open-ended accounts, respondents apply conventional beliefs about sex and sexual orientation to friendship behaviors, employ identity work as a means of distancing themselves from the gay or lesbian friend, and question the friend’s gay or lesbian identity. Qualitative results also provide evidence that friendship is a context in which heterosexism is resisted.

Key Words: friendship • sex • sexual orientation

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