[Vision2020] A Message For Douglas Wilson, Bobby Horrendous, et al

[Art Deco]

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April 27, 2012
Homophobic? Maybe You’re Gay By RICHARD M. RYAN and WILLIAM S. RYAN

WHY are political and religious figures who campaign against gay rights so
often implicated in sexual encounters with same-sex partners?

In recent years, Ted Haggard, an evangelical leader who preached that
homosexuality was a sin, resigned after a scandal involving a former male
prostitute; Larry Craig, a United States senator who opposed including
sexual orientation in hate-crime legislation, was arrested on suspicion of
lewd conduct in a men’s bathroom; and Glenn Murphy Jr., a leader of the
Young Republican National Convention and an opponent of same-sex marriage,
pleaded guilty to a lesser charge after being accused of sexually
assaulting another man.

One theory is that homosexual urges, when repressed out of shame or fear,
can be expressed as homophobia. Freud famously called this process a
“reaction formation” — the angry battle against the outward symbol of
feelings that are inwardly being stifled. Even Mr. Haggard seemed to
endorse this idea when, apologizing after his scandal for his anti-gay
rhetoric, he said, “I think I was partially so vehement because of my own
war.”

It’s a compelling theory — and now there is scientific reason to believe
it. In this month’s issue of the Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, we and our fellow researchers provide empirical
evidence<http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/102/4/815/>that
homophobia can result, at least in part, from the suppression of
same-sex desire.

Our paper describes six studies conducted in the United States and Germany
involving 784 university students. Participants rated their sexual
orientation on a 10-point scale, ranging from gay to straight. Then they
took a computer-administered test designed to measure their *implicit *sexual
orientation. In the test, the participants were shown images and words
indicative of hetero- and homosexuality (pictures of same-sex and straight
couples, words like “homosexual” and “gay”) and were asked to sort them
into the appropriate category, gay or straight, as quickly as possible. The
computer measured their reaction times.

The twist was that before each word and image appeared, the word “me” or
“other” was flashed on the screen for 35 milliseconds — long enough for
participants to subliminally process the word but short enough that they
could not consciously see it. The theory here, known as semantic
association, is that when “me” precedes words or images that reflect your
sexual orientation (for example, heterosexual images for a straight
person), you will sort these images into the correct category faster than
when “me” precedes words or images that are incongruent with your sexual
orientation (for example, homosexual images for a straight person). This
technique, adapted from similar tests used to assess attitudes like
subconscious racial bias, reliably distinguishes between self-identified
straight individuals and those who self-identify as lesbian, gay or
bisexual.

Using this methodology we identified a subgroup of participants who,
despite self-identifying as highly straight, indicated some level of
same-sex attraction (that is, they associated “me” with gay-related words
and pictures faster than they associated “me” with straight-related words
and pictures). Over 20 percent of self-described highly straight
individuals showed this discrepancy.

Notably, these “discrepant” individuals were also significantly more likely
than other participants to favor anti-gay policies; to be willing to assign
significantly harsher punishments to perpetrators of petty crimes if they
were presumed to be homosexual; and to express greater implicit hostility
toward gay subjects (also measured with the help of subliminal priming).
Thus our research suggests that some who oppose homosexuality do tacitly
harbor same-sex attraction.

What leads to this repression? We found that participants who reported
having supportive and accepting parents were more in touch with their
implicit sexual orientation and less susceptible to homophobia. Individuals
whose sexual identity was at odds with their implicit sexual attraction
were much more frequently raised by parents perceived to be controlling,
less accepting and more prejudiced against homosexuals.

It’s important to stress the obvious: Not all those who campaign against
gay men and lesbians secretly feel same-sex attractions. But at least some
who oppose homosexuality are likely to be individuals struggling against
parts of themselves, having themselves been victims of oppression and lack
of acceptance. The costs are great, not only for the targets of anti-gay
efforts but also often for the perpetrators. We would do well to remember
that all involved deserve our compassion.

Richard M. Ryan <http://www.psych.rochester.edu/faculty/ryan/> is a
professor of psychology, psychiatry and education at the University of
Rochester. William S. Ryan is a doctoral student in psychology at the
University of California, Santa Barbara.


-- 
Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
art.deco.studios at gmail.com
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