Could have to do with familiarity breeding acceptance. If you live right next to an “Other” you’re more likely to strike up a friendship than someone whose notions about them come largely from xenophobic tabloid propaganda.
(Anecdotally, some older people’s traditional or religious homophobia is defused after a family member comes out. Some disown them, but overall they’re more likely to support equal rights than people who think they don’t have any queer friends or family.)
