Study: Homophobes May Be Hidden Homosexuals

Well I've been saying this since I was in the 6th grade. I guess it's good they actually did a study. But it's not as cut and dry as you may think.

If someone has feelings towards the same sex and have been brought up in an very strict household with parents who held homophobic views, they will be more likely to hide their feelings, and even compensate by lashing out at openly gay individuals.

Very interesting. What do you think?

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."

"Sometimes people are threatened by gays and lesbians because they are fearing their own impulses, in a sense they 'doth protest too much,'" Ryan told LiveScience. "In addition, it appears that sometimes those who would oppress others have been oppressed themselves, and we can have some compassion for them too, they may be unaccepting of others because they cannot be accepting of themselves." Ryan cautioned, however, that this link is only one source of anti-gay sentiments.

"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," Ryan said. "Homophobia is not a laughing matter. It can sometimes have tragic consequences," as was the case in the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay man.

Here's the link to the article: www.livescience.com...

reply to post by ideasarebulletproof

I've held that belief for a long time as well.

Unfortunately the only ones that can confirm its truth are exactly those in denial.

reply to post by ideasarebulletproof


This study does confirm that old school-yard adage about the bully being a bully only because he himself was the victim of bullying. There was a bully in my grade school who i would scrap with all the time because he would pick on a couple friends of mine. We grew up to find out that his father had killed himself right in front of the boy and his mother blamed him. He's in prison now for burning down his house with his mother inside of it.

We never think about how our actions affect others. if i had treated that bully like a victim and not an evildoer, would he have developed better self-esteem? would his mother be alive today? i'll never know but i'll always have that question.

I fear though that this study will turn out to be a waste of money and time. In my view, there are two types of homophobes; closeted fearful homosexuals and brainwashed religious cultists. Either way, some study isn't going to have much affect on how these "people" treat those around them.

always remember going into a gay bar to meet a friend along with the mrs and a few mates and one of them kept mentioning backs to the wall etc and wouldn't goto the loo alone while the rest of us didn't care and got our asses whipped at pool by a few butch ladies and they all said that he pinged their gaydar so it doesn't suprise me that people who have an hatred for gays are probably so far in the closet that they're in narnia

Oh this puts a twist on it all.

They surely won't be happy, to say the least, about this research

If it's true, it sure would explain a lot.

Just look at how many evangelical preachers, politicians and so forth that have had very strong anti-gay stances only to be busted for having homosexual affairs.

Heck, the Nazi's power structure had lots of gays in it and look at what their stance was.

Makes sense. I cringe every time I see some homophobe spouting the "homosexuality is a choice" line, as many do. Because I am sure it takes at least some latent homosexual feelings to think that people can choose to love the same sex..

I'm not so sure. I'm certainly not homophobic some of my best friends are black.

I think when it comes to lust there are no boundaries.

So, it's not that the person is gay, they just don't understand the feelings they have because society says they are wrong.

This is right up there with the study that revealed stupid people are too stupid to know that they're stupid.

It's as if the only ones unaware of this maybe just need a light in the closet.

LMAO!.....

I thought this was common knowledge!

Anyone that is scared of the "big bad gay guy" is probably turned on by him....I'm still laughing!

I have gay friends, my wife has lesbian friends...there is nothing scarey about them...they just do diffrent things in the dark than we do....

Oh man...what a hoot of a discussion this will surely be!

reply to post by Damrod


I'm not so sure it is common knowledge -- certainly homophobes have been exposed to the same stuff that people who accept it as common knowledge - how do they miss this.

I have alway ondered how a person who fits perfectly a stereotype -- sees that stereotype presented in a negative way and totally misses the point. On the other hand my father was the perfect Archie Bunker and loved the show but totally missed the ridicule. Very confusing

Makes total sense in science as well as personal experiences,

homophobia is a "defense mechanisms" concocted by one's ego/consciousness to distance/deny themselves from their own homosexual interests.

I've usually seen this in male subjects who have decided early on because of family prell lessures and social stigmas, they will live out their life traditionally married, 'straight'-acting and have a "normal" life complete with wife kids, grandkids, etc.

The problem arrises esp when they see and are offended by open, effeminate or less 'straight'-acting gays than themselves. Their repressed mind registers it as anger for those without no "shame" and too much "pride" and this is manifested as an antagonist attitude (homophobia, or frankly, hate, to cover up the pain) of the gayness they repress yet others exude.

This is why many homophobes are associated with ironically, homosexual attacks including rape, upon gays.

Many new research/articles released just earlier this month, continue to confirm that homophobes are often repressed homosexuals:

www.nytimes.com...

www.usatoday.com...

www.femalenetwork.com...

reply to post by ideasarebulletproof


Gays usually pull that hat trick, they all think people against homosexuality are closest gays. Of course, it's a load of garbage.

So the kkk are just a bunch of repressed black people... I think this is all just a clever way to try n make everybody accept gays. I'm all for girl girl action but other than that it is wrong and should be kept in the closet

"American Beauty" anyone??

Aggggghhh ...Mena..!!

Just another way to shut down opposition. Gay propaganda at its finest.

Next they will come out and say Atheists are just closet Christians (until they are on their death bed). This I understand, but not the gay stuff.

load of rubbish, being homophobic is natures way of limiting homosexuality. I think we would be in trouble as a species if it was not for homophobia. I am homophobic because i am heterosexual not because i am a hidden homosexual.

P.S. I treat homosexuals with the same respect i treat everyone else, but i still consider homosexuality to be repulsive and disgusting.

reply to post by oddnutz

I think we would be in trouble as a species if it was not for homophobia.

Why? Do you think all straight people would turn gay if homosexuality was more accepted? Interesting. I completely support your right to think homosexuality is nasty, I also support homosexuals right to do whatever they want if i's not hurting anyone.

More on topic: I do think that there are definitely those that are homophobic because they loathe themselves for being gay, but I think that number is probably pretty low within the homophobe community. I do really wonder why so many people think that gay people and them having the same rights as the rest of us are such important issues. It's weird to me if a guy likes fat girls, but to each his own and it doesn't affect me.

I think homophobia is the fear of catching the gay!

You know, it might be contagious.

Maybe homophobes are afraid that if they're nice to, accepting of a gay person, that person will think they're coming on to them. Oh the horrors!

My dad, RIP, wouldn't swim in the same pool as black people, because the black might wash up on him. No kidding!