Is Homophobia Associated With

Homosexual Arousal?

Henry E. Adams, Lester W. Wright, Jr., and Bethany A. Lohr
University of Georgia

The authors investigated the role of homosexual arousal in exclusively heterosexual men who admitted negative affect toward homosexual individuals. Participants consisted of a group of homophobic men (n = 35) and a group of nonhomophobic men (n = 29); they were assigned to groups on the basis of their scores on the Index of Homophobia (W. W. Hudson & W. A. Ricketts, 1980).
The men were exposed to sexually explicit erotic stimuli consisting of heterosexual, male homosexual, and lesbian videotapes, and changes in penile circumference were monitored. They also completed an Aggression Questionnaire (A. H. Buss & M. Perry, 1992 ). Both groups exhibited increases in penile circumference to the heterosexual and female homosexual videos. Only the homophobic men showed an increase in penile erection to male homosexual stimuli. The groups did not differ in aggression. Homophobia is apparently associated with homosexual arousal that the homophobicM individual is either unaware of or denies.

READ MORE HERE

Comment by John:

Any gay man will tell you that a homophobic man is usually afraid because they are sexually 'turned on' at the thought of two men having sex.  The thought might well repell them and this inner fear of 'being gay'  in a society governed with church rules,  is what causes so many people to be afraid of various aspects of their own inner self.  Being attracted to men is as natural and being attracted to women,  it is something you are all too often born with.  Having rules and disciplines crammed down your throat since childhood about what is - and what is not - acceptable behaviour,  makes many deny their inner feelngs as wrong and this turns inwards into self loathing and hate - and when confronted with an out and proud gay man,  the inner conflict will become external and often violence and bigotry will erupt.  It all stems from fear and arousal.

The article and link above are interesting, but is nothing we didn't already know.