# Are Iran And Egypt The World's Most Gay-Friendly Cultures?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 30, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420 "2009-11-30T02:39:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/1 "2009-11-30T02:39:11Z")
On the Fourth Wave of the World Values Survey ([http://www.worldvaluessurvey.com](http://www.worldvaluessurvey.com)), 93,563 adults from 62 nations were asked in face-to-face interviews the following question (A132):
_“On this list of various groups of people, could you please point out any that you might not like to have as neighbors?”_
The list included a wide variety of racial/ethnic/religious groups.
Most of the results are pretty much in line with what you might expect, but I did come up with a somewhat unexpected result when I checked for attitudes toward homosexuals:
```auto
BASE=93563
Weight [with split ups] Neighbours: Homosexuals
Total Not mentioned Mentioned
Country/region Albania 1000 (100%) 17.4 % 82.6 %
Algeria 1282 (100%) 19.3 % 80.7 %
Argentina 1280 (100%) 77.9 % 22.1 %
Austria 1522 (100%) 74.6 % 25.4 %
Bangladesh 1500 (100%) 95.1 % 4.9 %
Belgium 1912 (100%) 82.6 % 17.4 %
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1200 (100%) 35.8 % 64.2 %
Bulgaria 1000 (100%) 46.1 % 53.9 %
Belarus 1000 (100%) 36.7 % 63.3 %
Canada 1931 (100%) 83.1 % 16.9 %
Chile 1200 (100%) 67.2 % 32.8 %
China 1000 (100%) 26.8 % 73.2 %
Croatia 1002 (100%) 47.2 % 52.8 %
Czech Republic 1908 (100%) 80.3 % 19.7 %
Denmark 1019 (100%) 92.0 % 8.0 %
Estonia 1005 (100%) 53.8 % 46.2 %
Finland 1038 (100%) 78.7 % 21.3 %
France 1615 (100%) 84.4 % 15.6 %
Germany 1825 (100%) 87.1 % 12.9 %
Greece 1142 (100%) 73.2 % 26.8 %
Iceland 967 (100%) 92.1 % 7.9 %
India 2002 (100%) 71.2 % 28.8 %
Indonesia 1004 (100%) 45.4 % 54.6 %
**Iran (Islamic Republic of) 2532 (100%) 99.1 % 0.9 %**
Ireland 1008 (100%) 72.6 % 27.4 %
Italy 2000 (100%) 71.3 % 28.7 %
Jordan 1223 (100%) 1.6 % 98.4 %
Republic of Korea 1200 (100%) 17.6 % 82.4 %
Kyrgyzstan 1043 (100%) 34.0 % 66.0 %
Latvia 1013 (100%) 54.5 % 45.5 %
Lithuania 1018 (100%) 32.5 % 67.5 %
Luxembourg 1211 (100%) 81.4 % 18.6 %
Malta 1002 (100%) 60.4 % 39.6 %
Mexico 1535 (100%) 55.4 % 44.6 %
Republic of Moldova 1008 (100%) 22.6 % 77.4 %
Morocco 2264 (100%) 6.8 % 93.2 %
Netherlands 1003 (100%) 93.8 % 6.2 %
Nigeria 2022 (100%) 26.4 % 73.6 %
Pakistan 2000 (100%) 100.0 % -
Peru 1501 (100%) 50.8 % 49.2 %
Philippines 1200 (100%) 76.4 % 23.6 %
Poland 1095 (100%) 44.8 % 55.2 %
Portugal 1000 (100%) 74.8 % 25.2 %
Puerto Rico 720 (100%) 78.1 % 21.9 %
Romania 1146 (100%) 34.8 % 65.2 %
Russian Federation 2500 (100%) 42.1 % 57.9 %
Singapore 1512 (100%) 54.3 % 45.7 %
Slovakia 1331 (100%) 56.0 % 44.0 %
Viet Nam 1000 (100%) 61.4 % 38.6 %
Slovenia 1006 (100%) 55.7 % 44.3 %
South Africa 3000 (100%) 53.8 % 46.2 %
Zimbabwe 1002 (100%) 33.5 % 66.5 %
Spain 2409 (100%) 84.4 % 15.6 %
Sweden 1015 (100%) 93.9 % 6.1 %
Turkey 4607 (100%) 9.8 % 90.2 %
Uganda 1002 (100%) 23.9 % 76.1 %
Ukraine 1195 (100%) 34.3 % 65.7 %
Macedonia, Republic of 1055 (100%) 46.5 % 53.5 %
**Egypt 3000 (100%) 99.6 % 0.4 %**
Great Britain 1000 (100%) 75.7 % 24.3 %
Tanzania, United Republic Of 1171 (100%) 25.9 % 74.1 %
United States 1200 (100%) 76.7 % 23.3 %
Venezuela 1200 (100%) 42.6 % 57.4 %
Serbia and Montenegro 2260 (100%) 39.4 % 60.6 %
Northern Ireland 1000 (100%) 64.8 % 35.2 %
Total 93563 (100%) 57.7 % 42.3 %
```
As you can see, Egyptians and Iranians reported being vastly more tolerant of gays than everyone else, with more than 99% of respondents saying they had no problems with homosexuals living next door. By contrast, every single one of the 1,000 Pakistanis polled took issue with the hypothetical gay neighbors. Even the enlightened Dutch were an order of magnitude more discriminatory against gays than the Egyptians.
Can this be correct? I don’t recall ever seeing this degree of consensus (99%+) on any survey.
What is it about the Egyptian and Iranian cultures that causes them to be so much more approving of gays than the rest of us?
Thanks.
---
### Author:  [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/2 "2009-11-30T02:53:01Z")
You might need to explain that data, because I see 2000 Pakistanis with the results being in line with Iran and Egypt.
Of course, some Iranians claim there are no homosexuals in their country…
---
### Author:  [@Stentor\_2.5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stentor_2.5)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/3 "2009-11-30T03:04:00Z")
IIRC, in some Middle Eastern countries homosexuality is treated as a youthful indiscretion rather than a sexual orientation. The respondents to this survey may have a different conception of what homosexuality entails than you and I.
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### Author:  [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/4 "2009-11-30T03:06:31Z")
> [@Surreal](#):
>
> What is it about the Egyptian and Iranian cultures that causes them to be so much more approving of gays than the rest of us?
Well seeing how it is a crime in Egypt to be gay I can’t believe for a second they are a more accepting culture. I’m confused about the poll.
maybe this is how it went down.
Man polling ‘how would you feel about a gay neighbor’
man being polled ‘well it be great if I had a gay neighbor’ ‘They’d throw his ass in jail and I could use his house as extra storage!’
Man polling ‘eh IC I guess I’ll put that down as you’d prefer a gay neighbor’
---
### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/5 "2009-11-30T03:26:06Z")
Some cultures deny that there are any gay people in their country. So it’s like asking how they would feel if they lived next door to a unicorn. That’s very far from “gay-friendly.”
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### Author:  [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/6 "2009-11-30T03:49:22Z")
The youth in Iran are pretty hip so I thought maybe that would lead to an open attitude toward gays, but I googled ‘Iran gay’ and [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Iran) was the first hit and, if that’s accurate, it doesn’t seem like 99% of Iran want gaybors.
---
### Author:  [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/7 "2009-11-30T03:54:03Z")
Could be a selection effect at work here. Perhaps only more tolerant, liberal-leaning individuals were interested in this survey. Not a crazy idea - Iran in particular is not an entirely open society, and doing things like this survey might not be entirely without risk. In which case, only people who’re already inclined to thumb their nose at their government a bit might be interested in doing the survey.
---
### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/8 "2009-11-30T03:59:13Z")
Source: [LGBTQ rights by country or territory - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_by_country_or_territory)
> [@](#):
>
> Iran…Illegal (Penalty: Death)
---
### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/9 "2009-11-30T04:02:18Z")
I’m thinking the question had to have been misinterpreted somehow. That, or someone altered the statistic as some kind of strange joke, and it got recorded as being real. The strict religious cultures and sanctions against perceived sexual immorality in those countries are very well known. I can’t see someone putting down those statistics knowingly, and actually believing them.
---
### Author:  [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/10 "2009-11-30T04:52:33Z")
Countries that separate the sexes have a lot of homosexual experimentation. The middle east countries don’t like to discuss it. Even at weddings the women are in one room, the men in another. So men dance with each other, women with women. Whether youthful indiscretions go farther I can not say. But they are laying the groundwork.
---
### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/11 "2009-11-30T05:04:35Z")
Oh, I have no doubt that is true. But something tells me they’d be less than enthusiastic about _admitting_ to this. As in most highly-religious environments, the passions run hot, and deep. Way down, deep below the surface. That’s where it’s the hottest, after all.
---
### Author:  [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/12 "2009-11-30T05:24:59Z")
It’s made more complex by the fact that there are more or less three genders in many South Asian countries. Hijras are respected members of society in both Pakistan and India, and kothis seem to be tolerated if not encouraged, so it’s certainly very different from homosexual relations in western nations. It could well be that the average person in Pakistan wouldn’t mind living next to a hijra all that much but would be mortified at the thought of an openly gay person living on even the same street.
---
### Author:  [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/13 "2009-11-30T05:30:20Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#):
>
> Oh, I have no doubt that is true. But something tells me they’d be less than enthusiastic about _admitting_ to this. As in most highly-religious environments, the passions run hot, and deep. Way down, deep below the surface. That’s where it’s the hottest, after all.
[Funny](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu2YzHY8VIU)you mention that.
---
### Author:  [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/14 "2009-11-30T09:30:18Z")
> [@Surreal](#):
>
> Most of the results are pretty much in line with what you might expect, but I did come up with a somewhat unexpected result when I checked for attitudes toward homosexuals:
>
> \
>
> As you can see, Egyptians and Iranians reported being vastly more tolerant of gays than everyone else, with more than 99% of respondents saying they had no problems with homosexuals living next door. By contrast, every single one of the 1,000 Pakistanis polled took issue with the hypothetical gay neighbors.
It looks to me like Egypt and Iran are both very close to Pakistan’s 100%. Could you explain why it looks different to you?
---
### Author:  [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/15 "2009-11-30T09:57:45Z")
> [@chorpler](#):
>
> It looks to me like Egypt and Iran are both very close to Pakistan’s 100%. Could you explain why it looks different to you?
You are correct, I misread my own table.
100% of Pakistani respondents (n=2,000) had no issues having homosexuals neighbors. By contrast, 93.2% of Moroccans (n=2,264) and 98.4% of Jordanians (n=1,223) disapproved of homosexuals.
---
### Author:  [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/16 "2009-11-30T10:20:46Z")
Seems likely to me that they accidentally switched the two results.
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/17 "2009-11-30T10:35:21Z")
> [@panache45](#):
>
> Some cultures deny that there are any gay people in their country. So it’s like asking how they would feel if they lived next door to a unicorn. That’s very far from “gay-friendly.”
If I understand the “mentioned” and “not mentioned” correctly, the question was open-ended, along the lines of “who would you never want as a neighbor?”
In order to include any given group in the answer, the respondent would have to think of that given group. If you’d asked my Idiot Aunt 30 years ago who would she never want as a coworker, she would never have answered “a black person” - because she didn’t think she might get a black coworker until one got hired (some 20 years ago, and boy did she bitch about it until her daughter and me pointed out her own immigrant blood); she hadn’t even seen a black person outside of a movie until that man was hired, actually.
---
### Author:  [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/18 "2009-11-30T11:40:19Z")
I think **Nava** might be on the right track, although the question involved a list, which named homosexuals. So they would have had the prompt right in front of them. But nonetheless, as you say the responses were open ended. The respondents may not have named gays because they are so lacking in exposure to them they wouldn’t think them worth mentioning (even though they would have been prejudiced against them if they’d had to say one way or the other).
---
### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/19 "2009-11-30T14:02:27Z")
I am not an expert in survey administration but it seems to me that either the methodology is flawed, or the results are not intended to be interpreted to indicating tolerance for various groups in the way that we are discussing it.
It would also be useful to know how participants were selected, and how well the size of the sample correlates to the general population. The average is about 1500 people per country.
I infer from the instructions to interviewers that this survey was done in person. The interviewer is prompted to show the respondent “Card D” for this question, suggesting that the respondent looks at the list and then responds. The choices were:
Drug addicts
People of a different race
People who have AIDS
Immigrants/foreign workers
Homosexuals
People of a different religion
Heavy drinkers
Unmarried couples living together
People who speak a different language
(optional: minority relevant to given country, write in)
If I were designing the survey I would have required a yes/no answer for each group rather than asking them to “mention” items from a list. IMHO I would speculate that people would tend to focus on the choices that cause the most visceral reaction for them and pay less attention to the rest. Suppose the list were something like this:
Clergyman
Politician
Homosexual
Student
Engineer
Do you think you would get the same response rate for “homosexual” as with the actual list used?
---
### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iran-and-egypt-the-worlds-most-gay-friendly-cultures/519420/20 "2009-11-30T14:15:59Z")
> [@gonzomax](#):
>
> Countries that separate the sexes have a lot of homosexual experimentation. The middle east countries don’t like to discuss it. Even at weddings the women are in one room, the men in another. So men dance with each other, women with women. Whether youthful indiscretions go farther I can not say. But they are laying the groundwork.
In what Middle East countries is this a typical wedding? This would not be at all typical in Egypt.
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