Introduction to the special issue: Sexual prejudice and stereotyping in modern societies

Several countries have made steps forward in promoting inclusive policies to guarantee civil rights for LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) people. Still, issues such as sexual prejudice and stereotyping continue to represent societal challenges in many international contexts. Data on European citizens show that there has been an increase of acceptance of same-sex marriage over time (being supported by 69% of European respondents in 2019; European Commission, 2019). Nevertheless, respondents still consider sexual orientation discrimination the third most widespread form of discrimination in their countries and only half of the respondents report feeling comfortable with public affection displayed by same-sex couples.