The study defines “gender norms” as “widely shared societal and cultural beliefs distinguishing personality traits, behaviors, and interests as appropriate and desirable for either men or women but not both.” It says that gender norms “prescribe behaviors that fuel a heteronormative system - that is, men and women conforming to norms are seen as ‘complements’ to one another, and this makes heterosexual coupling seem necessary and normal.”
NBC OUT Who's the 'Q' in LGBTQ? Study shines light on 'queer' identities.īroadly, the study found that “attitudes toward sexual minorities are robustly related to beliefs about the gender system, more broadly.”