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Homophobic People Often Have Psychological Issues

Homophobic attitudes may say a lot about the person who holds them, new research suggests.

A new study of university students in Italy revealed that people who have strongly negative views of gay people also have higher levels of psychoticism and inappropriate coping mechanisms than those who are accepting of homosexuality.

Earlier research has found homophobia to be a complex subject, with some studies suggesting that people with visceral negative reactions to gays and lesbians often harbor same-sex desires themselves

High levels of hostility and anger, measured as psychoticism, were also linked to homophobia, the researchers found.

But other mental health issues had the opposite association: Depression and neurotic defense mechanisms (like hypochondria or repression) were both linked with lower levels of homophobia.

The findings position homophobia as a trait more often seen in dysfunctional personalities

Study: Homophobes May Be Hidden Homosexuals

Homophobes should consider a little self-reflection, suggests a new study finding those individuals who are most hostile toward gays and hold strong anti-gay views may themselves have same-sex desires, albeit undercover ones.

"This study shows that if you are feeling that kind of visceral reaction to an out-group, ask yourself, 'Why?'" co-author Richard Ryan, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, said in a statement. "Those intense emotions should serve as a call to self-reflection."

The research, published in the April 2012 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, reveals the nuances of prejudices like homophobia, which can ultimately have dire consequences. [The 10 Most Destructive Human Behaviors]

"Sometimes people are threatened by gays and lesbians because they are fearing their own impulses, in a sense they 'doth protest too much,'" Ryan told LiveScience. "In addition, it appears that sometimes those who would oppress others have been oppressed themselves, and we can have some compassion for them too, they may be unaccepting of others because they cannot be accepting of themselves."

Sure, you don't have to be gay to be homophobic, but whenever a person is obsessive about homosexuality and what gays or could-be-gays are up to, that person is always a closeted, self-hating homosexual with daddy issues. This is just science.