How many of y'all are homophobic? Here's a study I've learned about and thought I'd share:
A study that appears to reveal a major cause of homophobia was completed at the University of Georgia in 1996. 3 It involved 64 white men, none of whom had engaged in homosexual acts during their lifetime. Their sexual fantasies involved only women. 35 of them were rated homophobic; 29 non-homophobic. For the purpose of this study, "homophobia" was defined as a negative emotional reaction (e.g., fear, anxiety, anger, discomfort) to homosexuality. It was measured by a questionnaire called the Index of Homophobia. Each was shown three types of X rated videotapes: heterosexual, lesbian and gay. A plethysmograph measuring device (affectionately called a "peter meter") measured the circumference of their penis as a gauge of sexual arousal.
The two groups exhibited similar arousal when they viewed 4 minute samples taken from one heterosexual and one lesbian movie. But they responded differently to the male homosexual clip:
Degree of Tumescence:
......................Insignificant Moderate Definite
Homophobic men ... 20% ...... 26% .....54%
Non-homophobic men 66% ..... 10% .....24%
The researchers concluded that these data are consistent with the belief that most homophobic men have repressed homosexual desires. An alternate, but much less likely, explanation is that the homophobic men's erections were caused by anxiety during the experiment.
A study that appears to reveal a major cause of homophobia was completed at the University of Georgia in 1996. 3 It involved 64 white men, none of whom had engaged in homosexual acts during their lifetime. Their sexual fantasies involved only women. 35 of them were rated homophobic; 29 non-homophobic. For the purpose of this study, "homophobia" was defined as a negative emotional reaction (e.g., fear, anxiety, anger, discomfort) to homosexuality. It was measured by a questionnaire called the Index of Homophobia. Each was shown three types of X rated videotapes: heterosexual, lesbian and gay. A plethysmograph measuring device (affectionately called a "peter meter") measured the circumference of their penis as a gauge of sexual arousal.
The two groups exhibited similar arousal when they viewed 4 minute samples taken from one heterosexual and one lesbian movie. But they responded differently to the male homosexual clip:
Degree of Tumescence:
......................Insignificant Moderate Definite
Homophobic men ... 20% ...... 26% .....54%
Non-homophobic men 66% ..... 10% .....24%
The researchers concluded that these data are consistent with the belief that most homophobic men have repressed homosexual desires. An alternate, but much less likely, explanation is that the homophobic men's erections were caused by anxiety during the experiment.
