🔎 Research Puzzle:
Prior work finds that suffering can boost empathy, but usually only within in-groups. It is unclear whether empathy "born of suffering" extends to stigmatized out-groups. This study examines public tolerance for LGBT+ people in Mosul, Iraq—a city that endured widespread violence under ISIS occupation from 2014–2017, including targeted killings of LGBT+ people alongside other marginalized groups.
📋 What Was Studied and How:
- Original data come from a 2021 survey experiment conducted in Mosul.
- The experiment randomly primed respondents with information about ISIS persecution of LGBT+ groups and then measured support for legal protections and rights for LGBT+ people.
- The survey also recorded respondents' personal experiences of victimization by ISIS during the 2014–2017 occupation.
📊 Key Findings:
- Respondents primed about ISIS persecution of LGBT+ people expressed greater support for protections for LGBT+ people than unprimed respondents.
- Support for LGBT+ protections also increased with respondents' own experiences of personal victimization by ISIS.
- These patterns hold alongside the wider context of targeted killings of LGBT+ people and other marginalized groups during ISIS rule in Mosul.
💡 Why It Matters:
- The results suggest that conflict-induced recognition of shared suffering can reduce barriers to out-group acceptance, extending empathy beyond secure in-group boundaries to stigmatized populations.
- Findings imply that post-conflict shifts in public opinion could create openings for advancing LGBT+-inclusive rights and protections in societies recovering from mass violence.
⚖️ Broader Implication:
- The study connects literature on victimization and prosocial attitudes to debates about reconciliation and minority rights after mass violence, showing a pathway by which shared trauma may foster more inclusive public attitudes.
