FRE
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- FRE,
They are no less homophobic in the UK than they are in the US - not in general terms (lived there). The difference is, is that UKers do not use religion to down gays and lesbians to the same extent; in other words, homophobia is not as nearly reinforced by contemporary religion (most folks in the UK are not at all religious). That does not necessarily make homophobia less intense, but rather "better" justifies it (homophobia is engrained in all Western cultures rooted in Christianity). And honestly, America is getting more and more secular by the day; and I see the day when religious people will be a true minority (look how many states are voting for gay marriage now).
The young generation here, like in England, is much, much more accepting of homosexuality than their parents. And if you live near a big city like New York or San Francisco, people are more open-minded in general, like they would be in and around London.
I often hear also how tolerant Australia is of gays and lesbians. The reality is, is that I lived there, too, and I can tell you they are no more tolerant of gays than we are in the US.
(PS: Some of the most homophobic people I ever met were anything but religious.)
"And honestly, America is getting more and more secular by the day; and I see the day when religious people will be a true minority (look how many states are voting for gay marriage now)."
I think that's because too many religious people fail to practice what they preach and ignore the most important tenet of their religions, i.e., to love other people. And, that love is not supposed to be mere sentiment, but rather, active, such as giving assistance where needed, etc. Turning away from religion began first in Europe because of the experience people had with bloody religious conflicts. The U.S., from earliest times, espoused separation of church and state thereby keeping religious conflicts to a minimum thereby also minimizing negative attitudes towards religion. Of course the stain of slavery, and the horrors of Jim Crow which followed, often supported by supposedly religious people, did nothing to further the cause of religion among people who had a strong sense of social justice.
To what extent this means that people are less religious is unclear. Perhaps they are, but perhaps they are merely turning against organized religion because they see that it often fails to live up to what it presumably believes.