The Generational Gap in Perceptions of LGBTQ+ Discrimination: Breaking the Age Paradox

This study examines why older LGBTQ+ adults in Spain report less perceived discrimination than younger individuals, within a context of unprecedented legal recognition coexisting with persistent social inequalities. Drawing on a mixed-methods design combining survey data from 600 participants in Madrid and 20 interviews, we tested five hypotheses through regression analysis. Quantitative results indicate that only the frequency of discriminatory experiences accounts for the age gradient, with older adults reporting fewer such events. However, qualitative findings suggest that perceptions are shaped by socio-historical context and age-related resilience, influencing how discrimination is defined and perceived. Results highlight the limits of standardized instruments in addressing generational heterogeneity within stigmatized populations and call for intersectional and multimethod approaches capable of capturing how meanings of discrimination are constructed. This contribution expands sociological understandings of the complex dynamics through which discrimination operates.