ABSTRACT
In the early twenty-first century the politics of sex is no longer merely a marginal phenomenon, either in Europe, the USA or Brazil. There is no doubt that several developments account for the emergence and saliency of the politics of sex, including rights, citizenship, and political and social theory. Yet in order to understand the force of the support for the new politics of gender and homosexuality, one must enquire into the value-orientations that support the new public policies and changes in law that have resulted in so much political conflict (Adam et al. 1998). Without the firm support of large groups in the electorate the new politics of sex would not achieve such a high saliency. Survey data can be employed to map the attitudes that give gender equality and the rights of homosexuals a high value, ensuring political consequences for the making of laws. This support for the new politics of women, gays and lesbians is to be found in mass political attitudes. Attitudes towards gender and homosexuality are connected at the micro level. And their occurrence on the macro level is strongly embedded in major cultural aspects of society. It is evident that cultural factors have an impact on the formation of value-orientations, and this impact is visible both at the micro and at the macro level.
