# Homophobic = Repressed Homsexuality? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 11, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651 "2005-08-11T22:45:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/1 "2005-08-11T22:45:59Z")
I quite often see the idea thrown about that if a person holds strong anti-gay views or is active against the gay/lesbian community that they are (or could be) homosexual themselves and just repressing it/living in denial etc. Often it seems to be mentioned in a school-yard level ‘takes-one-to-know-one’ way, but is there any real evidence to back this kind of claim up? Have there been any studies that show links between anti-gay behavior and repressed homosexualtiy? \*Mods, I hope GQ is the right place for this, I understand given the subject it could end up in GD or (hopefully not) The Pit. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2005, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/2 "2005-08-11T23:07:11Z")
Let’s sit back and wait for real evidence to appear. However, observation of human nature should lead us to realize that one frequently is resistant to (in varying degrees of strength) qualities in others that one recognizes, however slightly or willingly, in oneself, and which qualities one dislikes, or even tries to disavow. Some degree of interest in the same sex can be one of those qualities, particularly in light of widespread societal, familial, cultural, or religious disapproval or proscription. xo, C. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/3 "2005-08-11T23:18:09Z")
IMHO - As with all human endeavors, I believe there is a full spectrum of motivations. Therefore, yes, there are some people who could be described as Homophobic = repressed. However, applying strict logic to your formula, I think it fall apart: (fill in the blank) hating = Repressed (fill in the blank) Conservative hating = repressed conservative Liberal hating = repressed liberal Nope, doesn’t work. Certainly not in all cases. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/4 "2005-08-11T23:37:44Z")
> [@Vagus](#): > > Have there been any studies that show links between anti-gay behavior and repressed homosexualtiy? [Yes](http://www.philosophy-religion.org/handouts/homophobia.htm). > [@](#): > > Researchers at the University of Georgia conducted an experiment involving 35 homophobic men and 29 nonhomophobic men as measured by the Index of Homophobia scale. All the participants selected for the study described themselves as exclusively heterosexual both in terms of sexual arousal and experience. > > Each participant was exposed to sexually explicit erotic stimuli consisting of heterosexual, male homosexual and lesbian videotapes (but not necessarily in that order). Their degree of sexual arousal was measured by penile plethysmography, which precisely measures and records male tumescence. > > Men in both groups were aroused by about the same degree by the video depicting heterosexual sexual behavior and by the video showing two women engaged in sexual behavior. The only significant difference in degree of arousal between the two groups occurred when they viewed the video depicting male homosexual sex: ‘The homophobic men showed a significant increase in penile circumference to the male homosexual video, but the control [nonhomophobic] men did not.’ This study is from 1996 and I have no idea if it’s been replicated, but yeah, there’s at least one study linking homophobia and homosexual arousal. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/5 "2005-08-12T00:11:39Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > [Yes](http://www.philosophy-religion.org/handouts/homophobia.htm). > > This study is from 1996 and I have no idea if it’s been replicated, but yeah, there’s at least one study linking homophobia and homosexual arousal. It’s a fairly controversial study and there have been a number of methodological issues raised with the setup. It’s certainly not conclusive of anything. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/6 "2005-08-12T00:17:58Z")
Based solely on what **Otto** quoted, a couple of questions and/or observations occur: “_The only significant difference in degree of arousal between the two groups occurred when they viewed the video depicting male homosexual sex: 'The homophobic men showed a significant increase in penile circumference to the male homosexual video, but the control [nonhomophobic] men did not._” 1.) Does “_a significant increase in penile circumference_” mean statistically significant (which I’d assume it does), i.e., some did and some did not? An affirmative answer here would get us to **Icarus** ’ observation. 2.) Does “_a significant increase in penile circumference_” necessarily indicate sexual arousal, or could it also, perhaps, be a physical expression of an aggressive response? I don’t know the answer - it’s just an observation. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/7 "2005-08-12T00:23:31Z")
Yeah, sure, it’s an “aggressive response.” Good one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/8 "2005-08-12T00:28:49Z")
As Freud said. “Sometimes a homophobe is just a homophobe”. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/9 "2005-08-12T00:54:58Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > It’s a fairly controversial study and there have been a number of methodological issues raised with the setup. It’s certainly not conclusive of anything. Never said it was. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/10 "2005-08-12T02:10:04Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Yeah, sure, it’s an “aggressive response.” Good one. 😃 ?? ---
**Author:** ![jackemaxton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@jackemaxton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackemaxton)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/11 "2005-08-12T06:20:45Z")
Here is the theory in comic form: Hilarious and not safe for work. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/12 "2005-08-12T13:55:31Z")
This looks like it’s leading to a new trend in having one element of society hate another: homophobephobes? ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/13 "2005-08-12T14:42:36Z")
Came across this quote in a totally unrelated article: “But all moral crusaders are tested by the seductions of the world. The measure of their mettle is what they do when they discover that they desire what they despise.” I believe this is quite true, and that in some cases, what they do is to reap more scorn on their targets and crusade just that much harder. xo, C. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/14 "2005-08-12T14:58:30Z")
> [@Vagus](#): > > I quite often see the idea thrown about that if a person holds strong anti-gay views or is active against the gay/lesbian community that they are (or could be) homosexual themselves and just repressing it/living in denial etc. The claim always makes me imagine an exchange similar to the following: HOMOTOLERANT MAN: I can’t believe Bush wants a Constitutional ban on gay marriage. HOMOPHOBIC MAN: Homosexuality is immoral and wrong. We should have an amendment to protect marriage. HOMOTOLERANT MAN: Oh yeah? Well, you’re a fag! … I did a Google Scholar search for the article title given above. It returned 22 hits. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/15 "2005-08-13T15:27:54Z")
The homophobe=repressed gay argument seems pretty closely allied with the old saw that anyone who says “some of my best friends are black” must be a racist. I don’t see how it’s necessarily hypocritical for a “repressed gay” to criticize homosexuality. Criticism of homosexuality is frequently limited to homosexual acts, not the mere fact of “being gay”. Someone with gay tendencies, but who genuinely thought homosexual acts were wrong and chose not to perform them, could criticize others for acting on their impulses. I also don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with self-repression. Civilized people repress their impulses all the time. On the other hand, there are plenty of people who actually have a problem with the stereotypical gay personality, regardless of whether the person is actually having gay sex. That’s another story. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/16 "2005-08-13T16:47:29Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > [Yes](http://www.philosophy-religion.org/handouts/homophobia.htm). > > This study is from 1996 and I have no idea if it’s been replicated, but yeah, there’s at least one study linking homophobia and homosexual arousal. How can any “scientist” put his name to an experiment trying to determine behaviour in a population of millions of people which only uses 64 subjects? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/17 "2005-08-13T17:17:47Z")
How many people would you suggest a scientist be required to use? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/18 "2005-08-13T17:44:08Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > How many people would you suggest a scientist be required to use? Well, we should poll 64 scientists to see what they think is a good number. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/19 "2005-08-13T19:05:08Z")
According to some calculators I have used, if you want to have a 95% confidence level in your findings, and you are willing to tolerate 3% one way or the other, if you are dealing with a population of 5,000,000 people, you would need a sample of 1,067. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651/20 "2005-08-13T19:08:20Z")
But that’s for statistical opinion surveys, is it not? Not behavioural studies? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homophobic-repressed-homsexuality/316651.md?page=2)