Are Homophobes More Likely to Be Gay?

Details: Category: LGBT Issues; Published on Tuesday, 01 May 2012 21:12; Written by Lara Landis; Hits: 586

A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology revealed the men who identify as strongly Straight are more likely to be homophobic and support anti-gay policies. The survey also showed that the people who identified themselves as strongly Heterosexual were more likely to favor harsher punishments for people convicted of a crime if the perpetrator was perceived to be Homosexual.

Researchers asked participants to identify their sexuality on a scale of 1 to 10, with a 1 being strongly Gay and 10 being largely straight. (Asexuality played no part in this particular survey). After the survey, each person was shown a series of images. A subliminal ‘me’ was flashed before each image before it displayed. Each subliminal message lasted a fraction of a second. The time chosen for each display did not give the brain enough time to register the image that it saw. Each person had to identify the image as Gay or Straight.

Approximately 20% of the people who identified as highly Straight displayed same-sex attraction. This subgroup was the same group that favored anti-Gay policies and stricter punishments. The test, according to the tech blog Gizmodo, confirms a long-held suspicion that Homophobic people are often Gay people repressing their true sexuality.

Other studies have used this subliminal technique, but subliminal advertising does not work. Scientific studies have shown that it is ineffective. Subliminal studies have shown to have little effect. The method used in this particular study may or may not be effective, but it is hard for the author to determine if this technique works without more information.

Homophobia, or more accurately, internalized hatred, may indeed be common in people who say they are highly Heterosexual, but this study needs to be conducted again using different methods.

Source:

Homophobia is Totally Gay