Fewer schoolchildren view gayness as positive. One scientist has a theory about why.

In a study described as “shocking,” “worrying,” and “frightening,” only about 22% of schoolboys in the Netherlands between the ages of 12 and 16 have a positive view of homosexuality, according to the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children survey, Dutch News reported.

The percentage is 18% lower than was measured four years ago. One researcher said the decrease may be connected to the rise of anti-gay and misogynist “manosphere” influencers and politicians. One recent poll showed a decrease in support for LGBTQ+ people in the US as well.

Additionally, the Dutch survey found that the percentage of girls with a positive view of homosexuality dropped from 78% in 2021 to 51% now.

Gonneke Stevens, a social and behavioral sciences professor at Utrecht University, said the statistics revealed a “worrying turn in the trend” after decades of growing support for gay relationships. He believes there’s a clear link between deepening intolerance for same-sex couples and the rise of aggressive misogynist and anti-gay “manosphere” influencers and discriminatory politicians.

Marie Ricardo, director of COC Nederland, the world’s oldest surviving LGBTQ+ rights organization, called the survey’s results a “frightening development.”

“The fact is that in recent years young people have been exposed to these views and that in the same period they have taken a more negative view of homosexuality,” Ricardo said. “We badly need the young generation for a free country in which everyone can be themselves.”

Rob Jetten, the out gay prime minister of the Netherlands, also called the study’s findings “shocking,” and added, “The influence of social media is huge and the cabinet will look at how we can put pressure on the social media companies to take action if a lot of content is appearing online that has a bad influence on young people,” he told RTL News.

In the Netherlands, the US, and various countries worldwide, social media influencers and politicians have falsely accused LGBTQ+ people of “sexualizing children” and pedophilia while pushing policies that ban schoolchildren from learning about the mere existence of queer people and LGBTQ+ history.

One radical Catholic organization in the Netherlands, Civitas Christiana, sought to publish a “black book” of LGBTQ+ people and organizations that it says “sexualize” kids. A judge blocked the book’s release after the sex education institute Rutgers sued to stop its release. Author Pim Lammers, who wrote a children’s book with a gay couple in it (De Boer en de Dierenarts or The Farmer and the Vet), received death threats after the radical organization targeted his participation in a children’s book week event.

In the US, a Gallup poll released around June found that support for marriage equality and for LGBTQ+ people in general had dropped significantly this decade. In 2023, 71% of US adults said they supported same-sex marriage rights. In 2026, only 65% said the same.

The percentage of people saying they believe it’s “morally acceptable” to be gay or lesbian also dropped from 71% in 2022 to 62%.

The key group responsible for the decline in support was Republicans. Around 2022, Republicans started referring to all LGBTQ+ people and even allies as “groomers,” a term used to describe child sex abusers. Right-wing influencers disseminated hate on social media, recording themselves acting disgusted in front of rainbow flags in an attempt to outdo one another in their performances.

Republicans’ support for LGBTQ+ rights has been steadily declining throughout the 2020s, while independents’ and Democrats’ support has held steady. This is perhaps because Republicans tend to live in a different media atmosphere than most Americans, viewing cable news, podcasts, and social media content that depicts LGBTQ+ people as threats to children.

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Originally published here.