Displays of homosexuality still bother majority of Greeks, according to recent nationwide survey

VPRC study for Kathimerini reveals young people show different levels of tolerance to their elders, while most oppose gay marriage, adoption

Six out of 10 Greeks believe there are many more gay people in Greece today than in the past, growing according to some to ‘epidemic’ proportions. The findings of the survey by VPRC show how arbitrary people’s assessments are.

By Constantinos Zoulas - Kathimerini

»Do you know what the difference between you and me is? One day you'll get married, have kids and we'll lose touch. You will continue hanging out together, while I am doomed to end up alone.»

To this day, 15 years later, I remember the words of my friend Nikos. Nikos is the only gay man I have ever met. Or, to be exact, the only gay man among many I have encountered over the years who, from the onset, never tried to hide what he was and was completely comfortable talking about it. He joined my group of friends on this basis at some point in the early 1990s, knowing, of course, that the rest of us were «normal.»

Normal. Now there's a word that could easily slip out when a heterosexual is trying to make the distinction between his/her self and the others - the «non-normal» people - in order to avoid a misunderstanding. And God forbid should a reader suspect that you belong to «the boys who will never be men and could well have been yours,» as an old Greek song goes.

This is not the only word that betrays Greeks' stance toward homosexuals. A survey that was impressive in its finds - commissioned by K magazine to VPRC and the subject of this column - confirms many more unconfessed truths. For example, «straight» people feel there are «quite a few» to «a lot» of homosexuals in Greece (apparently accounted for by some arbitrary level of assessment which each individual applies) and that over the past few years, their numbers have been rising. Homosexuality has been described as being «wrong,» «a disease» and «a sin» showing that there are differences even among those who «oppose» it, though the first opinion, that «it is wrong,» seems to represent common perception.

With this in mind, another admission that came up in the survey is hardly surprising: that Greeks are annoyed by homosexuals demonstrating their sexual preferences, and even more offended if they see homosexual couples displaying their affections in public. Indeed, seven out of 10 people find homosexuals kissing in public unacceptable, while the same number regard as inconceivable the possibility of homosexuals having the right to marry, as is the case in some other European countries.

The same survey reveals something more impressive still: Even those who appear to display some tolerance toward homosexuals have drawn lines, however subconsciously.

Of the people polled, 48 percent said that they would be annoyed to discover homosexuals holding administrative posts in the security forces. Greeks' discomfort with the issue is shown by the fact that they do not think that homosexuals should be barred from working in schools and universities, the police or even - and especially - public services; regarding the latter sector, some 70 percent said it was a fitting setting for homosexuals to work in.

The reason for this is quite obvious: Somewhere in the back of Greeks' minds is the idea that homosexuals will fade into the chaos of the public sector. They will not be seen and therefore will not bother us with their presence.

Is it therefore better to «love them from a distance»? Or, rather, «better far away from us,» generally? The poll showed that 69 percent said they would be upset to find out that someone in their family is gay, while only 23 percent said they wouldn't «really mind that much.»

Approximately half the people questioned object to a politician publicly stating that he or she is homosexual; in contrast, most said they would «not mind» if the same step was taken by an actor or singer. That just goes to show that the limits set on what is considered proper and what is not are completely arbitrary.

Is this stance only about the discomfort so many Greeks feel at the sight of something «strange» or even «perverted,» according to some points of view, or is it also about a fear that it could befall them from where they least expect it? «Should homosexuals have the right to air their opinions via television or not?» was one of the survey's questions. «No, they should not» was the categorical answer of 54 percent. This percentage includes people who voiced concerns that the «sin» or the «disease» of homosexuality could be contagious. This is a concern reflected in the fact that six out of 10 Greeks believe there are many more gay people in Greece today than in the past, growing, according to some, to «epidemic» proportions.

Does all this lead to the conclusion that Greeks are simply puritans, or does it also reflect a lack of education? Possibly both. The general outcome of the survey shows that the older people are, the more unbending they are in their views. In contrast, younger people (aged 18-24) in the survey appear to be a lot more flexible toward homosexuality. The majority of young people, for example, are not bothered by the sight of a homosexual couple displaying their affection for one another in public, probably because they have already seen it and it does not appear as abhorrent as it does to older people. Nevertheless, older people who state they have met homosexuals reveal that they are a lot more tolerant than people of a similar age who have not, showing that ignorance plays a vital role in people's opinions.

Last but not least, another interesting fact arising from the survey is that there are different stances to homosexuality depending on people's political inclinations. The more right-wing the individual is, the more conservative he/she appears to be, while those on the left seem to be more progressive in their views. Of course, both sides agree that there are certain limits. On the question of homosexuals' right to marry, those on the left said they should have it (in contrast to people asked who vote for New Democracy and PASOK). On the other hand, when asked whether homosexual couples should have the right to adopt children, 56 percent of the «progressives» had a negative reaction.

Reaching the end of the survey, I don't know why, but I remembered Nikos. My friend, whom I met when I was 20 years old, was someone who never hid who he was and in his way made me become one of the open-minded.

Of course, Nikos was right when he said «One day you'll get married, have kids and we'll lose touch. You will continue hanging out together, while I am doomed to end up alone.» And that's what happened.

This article first appeared in the February 13, 2005, issue of K, Kathimerini's Sunday supplement.

The VPRC survey for K was a nationwide one. It was conducted over the telephone and addressed to 510 people aged over 18. It was completed during November 22 and 23, 2004.