Shame and Internalized Homophobia in Gay Men

Abstract

This study investigated for the first time the relationship between internalized homophobia and shame in gay men. It also briefly re-examined the relationship between internalized homophobia and self-esteem in gay men. A sample of 100 gay men from a variety of sources responded to three questionnaires and a demographic survey. Findings included a significant positive relationship between shame and internalized homophobia and a significant inverse relationship between internalized homophobia and self-esteem. Additional findings included significant correlations between seven variables and internalized homophobia and between six variables and internalized shame.

Correlates of Sexual, Ethnic, and Dual Identity: A Study of Young Asian and Pacific Islander Men who Have Sex with Men

“…Findings also suggest the importance of social support around gay/bisexual identity in building a positive sense of ethnic and sexual identity for young API MSM. This support fosters youth's self-esteem and reduces HIV transmission risks as well as the psychological distress associated with being gay and API (Allen & Oleson, 1999;Yoshikawa et al, 2004). This association could explain a previous analysis of the same data showing that social support was associated with increased HIV testing (Do et al, 2006).…”

“…First, sexual identity is formed at the early stage of identity development when adolescents seek to understand their sense of self (Brooks-Gunn & Garber, 1999). API who come to the United States after the age of 10 may experience different, more severe forms of homophobia in their countries of origin, which in turn might be internalized into their individual self-concept (Allen & Oleson, 1999). In addition, API cultures place importance on familial obligations, including forming one's own family and having children, which often has an oppressive effect on API MSM (Han, 2008).…”

“…It is possible that gay men with greater self-worth about being gay are more likely to have higher self-esteem and thus are more likely to openly self-identify as gay (Allen & Oleson, 1999). Operario et al (2008) argued that the process of establishing a sense of sexual identity is often complicated by considerations of ethnic identity.…”

“…They realize that their same-sex sexual desire is not socially accepted and is considered abnormal (Herek, 1984). Such negative attitudes are incorporated into the individual's self-concept, creating sexual identity distress that affects psychological well-being of men who have sex with men and disrupts their social functioning (Allen & Oleson, 1999;Gock, 2001;Han, 2008;Meyer, 1995).…”

O preconceito sexual internalizado por homossexuais masculinos

“…(Finnegan & McNally, 2002, p. 92-93) 3 . De acordo com vários autores (Allen & Oleson, 1999), a internalização do preconceito é um evento experienciado, em diversos graus, por quase todos os homossexuais criados em sociedades ocidentais. Não obstante o número razoavelmente grande de estudos que tratam deste tema, existe uma escassez significativa de pesquisas no que se refere à prevalência do preconceito internalizado entre homossexuais.…”