Consider the following two statements: (1) “It only takes one gay experience for a person to no longer be straight”, and (2) It only takes one straight experience for a person to no longer be gay”. Though the statements concern the same basic topic (sexual orientation) and are framed in exactly the same manner, it is commonly accepted that most people would readily agree with the first statement but not with the second. This illustrates the psychological “fragility” of heterosexuality: a belief structure in which one’s heterosexual status is perceived as both valuable and easily compromised, particularly in comparison with a potential “homosexual” status, which is perceived as relatively robust and difficult to compromise.
This ERC-funded research project investigated this "fragile heterosexuality effect", testing it's nature, it's limits, and it's associated consequences. Over the course of 5 years the research team found evidence that (1) people do indeed generally perceive heterosexuality as more fragile than homosexuality (i.e. the Fragile Heterosexuality) (2) that this belief can lead to increases in prejudice against sexual minorities and transgender people when "heterosexual people" threatened like their sexuality has been threatened (3) that the Fragile Heterosexuality effect applies to both men and women, but more significantly more strongly to men (4) that the Fragile Heterosexuality effect is related to higher levels of prejudice-related variables such as social dominance orientation, right wing authoritarianism, and estimates of population size (5) that even sexual minorities (e.g. gay people) perceive heterosexuality as more fragile than homosexuality (6) that the Fragile Heterosexuality effect holds true across a number of geographically, linguistically and culturally diverse societies European societies, but (7) that the Fragile heterosexuality is apparently not culturally universal. Certain high-prejudice populations (e.g. Jamaicans) seem to hold reversed views, believing heterosexuality to be the more stable, less easily compromised sexual identity.
The research is ongoing. Collaborators in Jamaica, Spain, Germany and other European countries are continuing to untangle elements of the Fragile Heterosexuality effect, and to investigate how it relates both to manifestations of prejudice (e.g. conversion therapy) as well as to perceptions of groups who can be perceived as threatening established sexuality categories (e.g. transgender people). Nonetheless the research has already confirmed some long-held cultural beliefs about sexual orientation while challenging others.
