Reducing homophobia in college students through film appreciation

The purpose of this study is to explore the responses of young members of the audience to media narratives that portray gay men positively with particular emphasis on the extent to which film appreciation reduced homophobia. One hundred and fifty college students from a Serbian university (MAge = 21.58, SD = 2.199) completed a questionnaire measuring homophobia and two months later, they watched the film The Parade (2011) and their appreciation and perception of the film’s quality were assessed along with the level of their homophobia. Statistical analysis that was carried out revealed three relevant findings. First, higher levels of homophobia correlate with less positive evaluations and appreciation of the film. Second, the results show that a greater degree of film appreciation correlates with a decrease in individual’s homophobia level, and last, the analysis reveals that gender of the audience members is not a determining factor when it comes to appreciation or evaluation of the film. The results expounded here contribute to entertainment theories and are useful for promoting sexual diversity in the media.