File this under: hmm…go figure.
A study published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior found that men who have sex with men while harboring homophobic views about same-sex relationships can be pretty unhappy with themselves.
Researchers call it “moral incongruence”, when a person’s behavior doesn’t match up with their moral code. Internalized homophobia can stem from any number of places — family upbringing, religion and societal stigma come to mind first.
Study author Samuel Perry and his team looked at data from the General Social Survey, which asked whether participants had sex with someone of the same sex in the last year, and what their general level of happiness was. It also asked to what extent they felt same-sex relationships are wrong.
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Men who have sex with men, who said they believe same-sex relationships are immoral, were twice as likely to say they were unhappy.
We’re not sure why anyone would need research to confirm this idea, but the data is in nonetheless.
quantum
It should be noted that data this study analyzed dates as far back as the late 1980s when societal views about homosexuality were vastly different.
n2play
I hate the way I love the way my boyfriend sucks my dick.
Openminded
OMG! I didn’t know you knew.
Chip
I dont know if Id call these men homophopes.. they maybe are having a hard time throwing off the dogma and taboo feelings instilled into them by their family growing up. I feel these men are more emotionally damaged and may have issues that a proper therapist could help with then out right homophopic.
Openminded
Agreed. I believe it is a case of having a hard time accepting who they are, not necessarily hate. Most likely from family upbringing/demands and religious teachings.
Donston
I do feel like too many of these “studies” look to whittle shit down to the easiest possible answer. Stuff is often way more complicated and individual and sometimes more disturbing than that. When it comes to the mental health of queers and why people do what they do and how people view themselves and their relationships, it’s not always entirely about homophobia or religion. We have to be able to discuss these things with more nuance and understand that people’s makeup and struggles and insecurities/resentments/hate are unique to them.
Donston
This is an issue even for many out queers and openly gay-identifying guys. And like a lot of things, it’s a complicated issue that tends to be connected to upbringing, sociology, ego, psychology and your dimensions. If you’re a queer male who has been sexually/physically abused (especially by a male), there’s a chance that you may never get past your traumas and the development of resentments, internalized phobias and/or self-misandry. While some people who indulge a queer lifestyle will never defeat stuff like mental health struggles, fluidity, paraphiliacs, fragile masculinity, insecurities, uncertainty about their place in the gender, sexual, romantic, comfort, emotion, commitment spectrum. Some folks will forever see same-sex passions, love, commitment as lesser than. Some people will always see homosexuality and “gay” as an inferior alternative or a reflection of someone’s inferiority. And while it’s not always strictly about stuff like religion, hetero pressures/expectations, external homophobia, those things will always have rippling effects everything.
It’s a complicated subject matter. And even many “out and proud” people contend with this stuff for different reasons and to different degrees.
Leo
Exactly why so many gay men never are able to form lasting or monogamous relationships.
Jaquelope
@Leo: There have been many gay men who have had lasting and monogamous relationships, so it is wrong to say that there have never been any. It sounds like someone needs to educate himself a little better. Maybe you’ve never had a relationship like that, for whatever reason, but it sounds like sour grapes to me. Could it be that the problem could have been you?
unreligious
Jaquelope, perhaps if your reading comprehension was better you would see that Leo said “so many gay men, never are able” not “no gay men ever are able”. Which is a fairly accurate observation.
Ronbo
Nearly one quarter of trans-women admitted that they harbor some dislike and discomfort with same-sex relationships, saying that it contributed to their decision to transition because they felt more comfortable with male/female relationships.
Unfortunately homophobia is powerful enough to drive youths into self-hate. Eventually most trans-youth revert into LGBQ adults.
Nearly all 11 year olds find puberty confusing and uncomfortable. However you emerge, accept yourself as a welcome part of the community. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – even if it takes years and years to overcome systemic bigotry from your family and culture.
theobvi
Shocking results! Next study. Is water really wet? Or is it just pretending?
J W G
I’m old enough to remember when it was socially acceptable to hunt us down and attack us, fire us from jobs, bar from establishments. I said it then and I say it now, the most homophobic people I knew were gay themselves. I had raging queens at my work place trying to get me fired for being who I was…seriously! I knew macho ‘fag hating’ men who would ‘tolerate’ my presents until they’d get a few drinks under their belt and then it was time for bed,,,,they were the most dangerous.
Doug
Is this supposed to be a new observation? Most gay people were brought up in a homophobic society, so we’re often in conflict with what we’ve been taught at an early age with who we actually are. It’s not something that just “goes away” once we come out of the closet.
Hillers
Now can we have a study on the out gay men who willingly have sex with said closeted gay guys? Is there some moral incongruity there? Is the dong really that good that there isn’t a piece of your soul that feels tainted doing it with these guys?
CityguyUSA
Turns out being gay is determined by sex hormones that you’re exposed to in the womb.