“OUT ART”: Reducing homophobia on college campuses through artistic intervention

The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudinal effects on first‐year undergraduates of a festival featuring artistic texts by and about gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. First‐year students (n = 270) at a small liberal arts university in the Northeastern United States completed an instrument measuring their homophobia before and after the festival. Results indicated: (1) attendance at festival events significantly reduced homophobic attitudes; (2) the larger number of events attended, either in total or because the events were assigned but would have been attended regardless, significantly decreased homophobia; and (3) increases in homophobia reported by a minority of students were unrelated to attendance at festival events. Implications of these findings, most notably the efficacy of using art for affecting homophobic attitudes, are discussed.