A new UCLA psychology study published in the journal Psychological Science concludes that many straight people still oppose same-sex marriage because they fear the sexual promiscuity perceived in LGBTQs will shake the foundation of their own marriages.
“Many people who oppose same-sex marriage are uncomfortable with casual sex and feel threatened by sexual promiscuity,” said David Pinsof, a UCLA graduate student of psychology and lead author of the study.
Pinsof added: “Sexual promiscuity may be threatening to these people because it provides more temptations for spouses to cheat on one another.”
“Opposition to same-sex marriage may be strategic by people who are seeking to protect their marriages and the marriages in their communities, and are fearful that changing the definition of marriage is threatening to their way of life,” Pinsof said. “Because they view gay people as promiscuous, they view the idea of same-sex marriage as undermining the institution of marriage.”
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The participants who opposed same-sex marriage had a hard time disassociating “gay” and “promiscuous.”
And then there’s another painfully real reason some conservatives are still afraid of their precious institutions being challenged — maintaining power.
“For people who are comfortable with women being more economically independent, marrying at a later age and having more sexual partners, sexual promiscuity is not as much of a threat because women do not depend on men for financial support.”