General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis may have been posted but there is now scientific studies with evidence that homophobia covers
http://tinyurl.com/72rekxkregressed homosexuality and an authoritarian social system.
Is some homophobia self-phobia?
Source:
University of Rochester
Summary:
Homophobia is more pronounced in individuals with an unacknowledged attraction to the same sex and who grew up with authoritarian parents who forbade such desires, a series of psychology studies demonstrates. The study is the first to document the role that both parenting and sexual orientation play in the formation of intense fear of homosexuals.
Homophobia is more pronounced in individuals with an unacknowledged attraction to the same sex and who grew up with authoritarian parents who forbade such desires, a series of psychology studies demonstrates.
The study is the first to document the role that both parenting and sexual orientation play in the formation of intense and visceral fear of homosexuals, including self-reported homophobic attitudes, discriminatory bias, implicit hostility towards gays, and endorsement of anti-gay policies. Conducted by a team from the University of Rochester, the University of Essex, England, and the University of California in Santa Barbara, the research will be published the April issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
"Individuals who identify as straight but in psychological tests show a strong attraction to the same sex may be threatened by gays and lesbians because homosexuals remind them of similar tendencies within themselves," explains Netta Weinstein, a lecturer at the University of Essex and the study's lead author.
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This is a couple years old but it is the first time I've seen it so I am assuming some other may have not seen it before either.
Egnever
(21,506 posts)If you are secure in your sexual preferences I don't see how others choice's could threaten you.
I think the question "when did you choose to be straight" is the best one I have ever heard to make people examine why they feel threatened by others sexual preference.
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)that came to essentially the same conclusion
Henry E. Adams, Lester W. Wright, Jr., and Bethany A. Lohr University of Georgia
The authors investigated the role of homosexual arousal in exclusively heterosexual men who admitted negative affect toward homosexual individuals. Participants consisted of a group of homo- phobic men (n = 35) and a group of nonhomophobic men (n = 29); they were assigned to groups on the basis of their scores on the Index of Homophobia (W. W. Hudson & W. A. Ricketts, 1980). The men were exposed to sexually explici terotic stimuli consisting of heterosexual, malehomosexual, and lesbian videotapes, and changes in penile circumference were monitored. They also completed an Aggression Questionnaire (A. H. Buss & M. Perry, 1992). Both groups exhibited increases in penile circumference to the heterosexual and female homosexual videos. Only the homophobic men showed an increase in penile erection to male homosexual stimuli. The groups did not differ in aggression. Homophobia is apparently associated with homosexual arousal that the homophobic individual is either unaware of or denies.
The whole study is available as a pdf here:
my.psychologytoday.com/files/u47/Henry_et_al.pdf?
Maraya1969
(22,505 posts)Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)by Googling the authors' names &/or article title. That will take you to a link to the article in pdf format.
Behind the Aegis
(53,991 posts)Seems many tend over look that very important word, some. It is not surprising a few people, some, would harbor deep resentment toward gay people in order to cover-up/deny their own same-sex feelings/attractions. However, this study appears to conflate the psychiatric use of "homophobia" and the sociological use of the term. The former is a "visceral fear of homosexuals", whereas the latter is more a disgust, apathy, or discriminatory view toward gay people. When the vast majority use the word "homophobia", they are using the sociological terminology.
It is very frustrating that such studies are used incorrectly to assume that most, if not all, homophobes are secretly gay themselves, when that couldn't be further from the truth. The studies are also used to make a joke of homophobia be declaring every homophobe a "secret gay." One of the authors makes a very good point, which many need to take to heart:
"We laugh at or make fun of such blatant hypocrisy, but in a real way, these people may often themselves be victims of repression and experience exaggerated feelings of threat," says Ryan. "Homophobia is not a laughing matter. It can sometimes have tragic consequences,"
Maraya1969
(22,505 posts)while there may not be 100% true homophobia=gay especially in the authoritarian world and fundamentalist religious world in general the people who tend to make the most noise about it, (like the late Fred Phelps) are probably fairly gay but having a hard time excepting it.
And yes I am using the continuum method of distinguishing "gayness". Rather than and "either or" approach.
Behind the Aegis
(53,991 posts)However, I sincerely doubt that most homophobes are secret gays, especially Fred Phelps. He was just a stone-cold bigot. I don't think he was hiding a damn thing, except a desire to actually murder gays. Sexual orientation may be on a continuum, but most homophobes aren't even remotely close to be being gay or even bisexual, they have just learned to hate.