GAY SEX & HOMOPHOBES

A study by the University of Georgia indicates that homophobia is the result of repressed homosexual urges that the person is either unaware of or denies. The study appearing in the August 1996 issue of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association barely made an echo in the general press. Researchers at the University conducted and experiment involving 35 homophobic men and 29 nonhomophobic men as measure by the "Index of Homophobia Scale". All participants described themselves as entirely heterosexual. Each participant was introduced to heterosexual, lesbian and homosexual erotic visual stimuli (videos). Their degree of sexual arousal was measured by 'penile plethysmography', which measures the male tumescence girth (circumference of the penis). The homophobic men showed a significant increase in penis circumference to the male homosexual video but the heterosexual nonhomophobic men showed little or no arousal. Only 20% of the homophobic men showed little or no evidence of arousal. 24% of the nonhomophobic men showed enhanced tumescence while 54% of the homophobic men showed substantial arousal. When asked to give an assessment on their arousal states to the various videos Homophobic men significantly underestimated their reactions to the gay male materials. Henry Adams a research professor at the University of Georgia said the idea that homophobia is associated with homosexual arousal dates back to Sigmund Freud.