Homophobes Likely Repress Same-Sex Feelings, Prejudice May Stem From Authoritarian Parents

By on April 10, 2012 in News 16

Pride FlagPeople who greatly fear homosexuality are likely to have experienced an attraction to a member of the same sex, according to a new study presented in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. As Jeanna Bryner reports on LiveScience:

Homophobes should consider a little self-reflection, suggests a new study finding those individuals who are most hostile toward gays and hold strong anti-gay views may themselves have same-sex desires, albeit undercover ones.

The prejudice of homophobia may also stem from authoritarian parents, particularly those with homophobic views as well, the researchers added.

“This study shows that if you are feeling that kind of visceral reaction to an out-group, ask yourself, ‘Why?’” co-author Richard Ryan, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, said in a statement. “Those intense emotions should serve as a call to self-reflection.”

Read More: LiveScience

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  • m1kesa1m0ns

    self-reflection? In modern America? Dream on. Most of these people will just abuse others and it will never even occur to them that it’s a problem.

    • Raz

       This is a culture in the US, the natives, slaves, women acused of witchcraft, anyone acused of comunism, gays, all the wars after the WWII … probably i’m forgeting other groups but these are the main ones.

      • Raz

         poor people, japanese imigrants DURING WWII, mexicans, anyone that don’t looks, thinks, have sex or eats like them, the irish, italian, maybe jews, probable jews … the list goes on and on.

        • 1947

           anyone dubbed a counter-revolutionary, including 4 million killed under Lenin, 30 million killed under Stalin, 60 million killed under Mao, 15,000 native Americans killed by the Sandinistas…

          • Raz

            Do you know that these numbers don’t match right? Many in these cities that you accuse communists killing people the numbers of dead are always way bigger than the numbers of habitants. If Mao really killed all those people China wound not see Mao as a national hero (or have so many problems with overpopulation), if Stalin was o much of a bad guy he would not be reverenced by most of Russia, and you really want to bring Nicaragua in the middle of this? With US and the Big Stick policy nosing in everybody’s peoples lives in Latin America? Invading Nicaragua more than one time and doing anything they want to do it there? Give me a break! your speech sounds more like US gov. anti-communist propaganda to me! If any native was killed in Nicaragua was by US troops weapons!

  • Mamagriff50

    In my experience “People tend to dislike and/or talk bad about things they themselves have done or thought about doing”.

  • http://www.ContraControl.com/ Zenc

    I had a friend from high school who most people would classify as “Homophobic”. So, I asked him about that, because otherwise he was pretty cool.

    His answer was something like … “I’m not afraid of gays, I hate them.”

    Some guy had raped him as a child.

    It is a very difficult and tricky thing to talk someone out of a hatred or dislike based on such a trauma.

    He wasn’t real interested in the intricacies of whether or not pederasty was true homosexuality or a stand alone sexual dysfunction.

    I would hate for a study like this to be used as an excuse to scorn the victims of a sexual assault.

    • mysophobe

      With all due respect, an adult who projects onto an entire unrelated group the actions of one person, for whatever reason, is probably deserving of at least some scorn. I suppose his attitude could be attributed to the gay=pedophile propaganda out there, but I’m guessing the reality is that this study fits your friend to a tee. His fear may have come from direct experience rather than demented cautionary tales, but in the end it is taking him to the exact same place for the same reasons. It’s all right there in his quote you shared, those aren’t the words of someone who is comfortable with their own heterosexuality. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a tragedy that he and countless others may be denying at least a part of their true nature because of what some monster has said or done to them; be it a priest, a parent or a pederast. I’m saying this as a 98-99% straight man who experienced something very similar at a young age.

  • Tio Holtzman

    Homophobes are a bunch of fags.

  • GEY

    ULTRA GAAAAYYYYYYYYY!

  • Redacted

    In other news, Santorum is out of the race. Says he met a guy named Kirk Cameron in a closet and they need more time together. I’m not sure what he means by that.

  • discusthrower

    well well, the proof is in the pudding… 

  • 1947

    this study is reminiscent of the long-since discredited Authoritarian Personality study by Adorno et al. So color me suspicious. 

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bobbie-Jean-Pentecost/100000391760333 Bobbie Jean Pentecost

      Did you actually read how the study was done? I did. These men they tested actually got erections over gay porn. Go ahead and explain that away. 

  • Doop

    I was a dumb, hateful kid until I grew up and got some cock.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bobbie-Jean-Pentecost/100000391760333 Bobbie Jean Pentecost

    Does anyone else hear that very sharp, loud DDDDUUUHHHHHH echoing over and over?