ABSTRACT

This study evaluated short- and long-term impact of a 4-day training intervention to reduce negative perspectives of religious leaders in Kenya on sexual and gender minorities, adopting a one-group pretest-posttest-follow-up design. Religious leaders’ perspectives play an important role in maintaining the negative status quo for sexual and gender minorities, especially in Africa, where religion’s impact is ubiquitous and holding negative attitudes against these populations is perceived as an expression of doctrinal orthodoxy. The training, developed by a community-based organization, employs a variety of strategies, including education, storytelling, and in-person contact. Data were collected directly before and after the training, and at 3- to 4-months follow-up. After the training, acceptance of lesbian women and gay men and gender diversity had increased, while attitudes toward gender and sexual minorities became more positive. Interaction effect analysis showed that compared to women, men changed more, as did those who scored higher on religious fundamentalism. Changes in attitudes were maintained at follow-up (three to four months). Although it is not clear whether the training had an impact on the religious leaders’ interactions with members of their congregation, these findings suggest that intensive trainings may promote positive changes in their perspective on gender and sexual minorities.

摘要

本研究评估了为期 4 天的培训干预的短期和长期影响，以减少肯尼亚宗教领袖对性少数和性别少数群体的负面看法，采用单组前测-后测-跟进设计。宗教领袖的观点在维持性和性别少数群体的消极现状方面发挥着重要作用，特别是在非洲，宗教的影响无处不在，对这些人群持消极态度被视为教义正统的表现。该培训由社区组织开发，采用多种策略，包括教育、讲故事和面对面接触。数据在培训前后直接收集，并在 3 至 4 个月的随访中收集。训练结束后，对女同性恋和男同性恋的接受度和性别多样性有所增加，同时对性别和性少数群体的态度也变得更加积极。交互效应分析表明，与女性相比，男性变化更大，宗教原教旨主义得分更高的男性变化更大。态度的改变在后续行动（三到四个月）中得以维持。虽然尚不清楚培训是否对宗教领袖与会众成员的互动产生影响，但这些发现表明，强化培训可能会促进他们对性别和性少数群体的看法发生积极变化。态度的改变在后续行动（三到四个月）中得以维持。虽然尚不清楚培训是否对宗教领袖与会众成员的互动产生影响，但这些发现表明，强化培训可能会促进他们对性别和性少数群体的看法发生积极变化。态度的改变在后续行动（三到四个月）中得以维持。虽然尚不清楚培训是否对宗教领袖与会众成员的互动产生影响，但这些发现表明，强化培训可能会促进他们对性别和性少数群体的看法发生积极变化。