Effects of Humor and Bystander Gender on Responses to Antigay Harassment

Individuals perceived to be LGBTQ+ are at risk for harassment. Although bystanders who confront harassers and support targets of harassment may promote inclusivity, the use of humor to express antigay harassment may inhibit prosocial bystander intervention. Non-LGBTQ+ undergraduates (N = 326) were randomly assigned to respond to a scenario in which a male peer disparaged another peer with antigay comments involving either the presence or absence of humor. Results showed that bystanders reported less intent to intervene in the presence of humor than in its absence. Bystander gender moderated perceptions of humorous harassing speech but not intent to intervene. In the presence of humor, men but not women perceived antigay harassment as more amusing; they also perceived the harassing peer more favorably. To promote ally behavior, bystander education may explicitly address critical thinking about the functions and effects of disparaging humor.