The number of Australians who believe homosexuality is immoral has risen for the second year in a row, reversing a two decade-long trend.
According to research from Roy Morgan released this week, 21% of Australians now agree with the statement “I believe homosexuality is immoral”.
The survey also showed a continuing gender divide on the issue, with 25% of men agreeing with the statement compared to 16% of women.
The polling company has been putting the question to 1,000 Australians aged 14 and older since the year 2000, and while the proportion who agree homosexuality is immoral has fallen from that year’s 36%, the downward trend stalled in 2019 and there has now been a sustained increase for the first time since the polling began.
Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine addressed the results in a statement suggesting a left-wing bias due to the use of the terms “homophobic”, “anti-gay” and “prejudice”.
“In late August, former West Coast Eagles player Mitch Brown ‘came out’ and became the first current, or former, openly gay or bisexual male player in VFL/AFL history,” she said.
“Homophobic attitudes in Australia have fallen steadily over the past 25 years, down 15% points, from 36% in 2000–01 to 21% in 2024–25. Sentiment reached a historic low of 18% in 2018–20.
“However, over the past five years the downward trend has stalled, edging back up to 21% by 2024–25, marking the first sustained increase in over two decades.
“Women show greatest acceptance, with only 16% now viewing homosexuality as immoral, while one in four men (25%) still hold anti-gay views, showing progress but also a persistent gender gap.
“The extensive media attention surrounding Mitch Brown’s announcement regarding his sexuality highlights both the advances in acceptance over recent decades and the ongoing need to challenge lingering prejudice in sport and society.”
The results comes amid growing anger about children being taught about radical gender ideology in schools, and after the pausing of so-called gender-affirming care in Queensland, and sponsors pulling out of “pride” festivals in regional areas.
In December last year the Australian Bureau of Statistics released experimental estimates of so-called LGBTI+ populations that showed about 4.5% of Australians aged 16 and older – one in 20 – are either homosexual or claim to be a gender that they are not.
Nearly 10% of those in the 16 to 24 age bracket either claimed to be lesbian, gay or bisexual, have “variations of sex characteristics”, or were gender-deluded.
Header image: A homosexual “pride” flag that was destroyed in Launceston in June (City of Launceston).
