By M.Christian

YNOT – According to a study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, research suggests homophobic bigots may be repressed homosexuals themselves.

People “who have a discrepancy within themselves about their expressed vs. unconscious sexual attraction find gay and lesbian people more threatening and are more likely to express prejudice and discrimination toward them,” according to University of Rochester psychology professor Richard Ryan and Netta Weinstein of the University of Essex, England, who co-authored the study.

Part of the data that led Ryan and Weinstein to their conclusion came from experiments during which four groups of about 160 college students in Germany and the U.S. were shown images and asked to rate the attractiveness of the subjects. The students also were asked questions about their upbringing and what they thought about homosexuality. In addition, the students were given word-completion tests to gauge thoughts and behaviors the students may not have vocalized.

The results led Ryan and Weinstein to conclude, “if you come from a controlling home where your parents do have negative attitudes toward gays and lesbians, you’re even more likely to suppress same-sex attraction and more likely to have this discrepancy that leads to having homophobia and feeling threatened.”

Naturally, some have voiced doubts about the study.

“This study is asking the right questions, but it’s a pretty big leap to say it’s revealing sexual orientation,” said Gregory Herek, a psychology professor at the University of California-Davis who is well-known for his work at the intersection of homophobia and violence.

Ryan, though, defends the conclusions, pointing out that the research may explain hate crimes. In addition, Ryan believes the research may shed light on why public figures, especially politicians, rail against homosexuality only to be caught in embarrassing situations with their pants down, so to speak.

“Some people who are threatened by gays and lesbians and are most vociferous in their opposition to them are suffering internally themselves,” he said.