This study explored the relationships among two forms of heterosexism (old-fashioned and modern), social dominance orientation, and attitudes toward structural violence. This topic was selected in an attempt to provide a better understanding of the factors that are related to and could contribute to prejudice toward gay men and lesbian women. A review of the literature outlined differences in the expressions of modern and old-fashioned forms of prejudice, as well as suggested links between social dominance orientation and prejudice expressed toward gay and lesbian people. This study explored these relationships, in addition to identifying relationships among both forms of heterosexism and the acceptance of institutionalized discrimination (structural violence). Each of the variables investigated (old-fashioned heterosexism, modern heterosexism, social dominance orientation, and structural violence) was defined as a discrete concept, and its relationship to the other variables was explored in this study. An online survey was administered to 129, self-identified heterosexual adults. Positive, strong and significant correlations were found between each pair of the four variables that were investigated. Further, multiple and logistic regressions determined that both social dominance orientation and structural violence appeared to be significantly strong predictors of the presence of both modern and old-fashioned heterosexism. Structural violence, however, appeared in this study to be a stronger predictor than social dominance orientation of both modern and old-fashioned heterosexism.

This study is supportive of the notion that the existence of prejudice toward gay and lesbian people can be seen as a symptom of a larger and more systemic method of endorsing and sustaining prejudice. While both structural violence and social dominance orientation can be seen as conditions that are related to the expression of heterosexism, this study proposes that structural violence appears to be an over-arching concept that condones and legitimizes the existence and perpetuation of prejudice, possibly in many forms. The limitations of this study are discussed, as well as the implications for social change and possible directions for future research.