Internalized Homophobia and Relationship Quality among Lesbians, Gay guys, and Bisexuals

City University of brand new York Graduate Class and University Center

We examined the associations between internalized homophobia, outness, community connectedness, depressive symptoms, and relationship quality among a community that is diverse of 396 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. Structural equation models revealed that internalized homophobia had been related to greater relationship dilemmas both generally speaking and among coupled participants separate of outness and community connectedness. Depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between internalized homophobia and relationship issues. This research improves present understandings regarding the relationship between internalized homophobia and relationship quality by identifying between your ramifications of the core construct of internalized homophobia as well as its correlates and results. The findings are of help for counselors thinking about interventions and therapy ways to assist LGB individuals deal with internalized homophobia and relationship dilemmas.

Internalized homophobia represents “the homosexual person’s way of negative social attitudes toward the self” (Meyer & Dean, 1998, p. 161) plus in its extreme forms, it could trigger the rejection of one’s orientation that is sexual. Internalized homophobia is further described as an intrapsychic conflict between experiences of same-sex affection or desire and experiencing a necessity become heterosexual (Herek, soulcams 2004). Theories of identification development among lesbians, gay guys, and bisexuals (LGB) declare that internalized homophobia is often skilled along the way of LGB identification development and overcoming homophobia that is internalized important to the development of a wholesome self-concept (Cass, 1979; Fingerhut, Peplau, & Hgavami, 2005; Mayfield, 2001; Rowen & Malcolm, 2002; Troiden, 1979; 1989). Additionally, internalized homophobia may not be totally overcome, hence it might impact LGB people long after being released (Gonsiorek, 1988). Studies have shown that internalized homophobia features a negative effect on LGBs’ international self-concept including psychological state and well being (Allen & Oleson, 1999; Herek, Cogan, Gillis, & Glunt, 1998; Meyer & Dean, 1998; Rowen & Malcolm, 2002).

Current research on internalized homophobia and health that is mental used a minority anxiety viewpoint (DiPlacido, 1998; Meyer 1995; 2003a). Stress concept posits that stressors are any facets or conditions that lead to alter and need adaptation by individuals (Dohrenwend, 1998; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Pearlin, 1999). Meyer (2003a, b) has extended this to talk about minority stressors, which strain folks who are in a disadvantaged position that is social they might require adaptation to an inhospitable social environment, like the LGB person’s heterosexist social environment (Meyer, Schwartz, & Frost, 2008). In a meta-analytic overview of the epidemiology of psychological state problems among heterosexual and LGB people Meyer (2003a) demonstrated differences when considering heterosexual and LGB individuals and attributed these differences to minority anxiety processes.

Meyer (2003a) has defined minority stress processes along a continuum of proximity into the self. Stressors many distal into the self are objective stressors—events and conditions that happen no matter what the individual’s faculties or actions. For the LGB individual these stressors are situated in the heterosexist environment, such as for instance prevailing anti-gay stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. These result in more proximal stressors that incorporate, to different levels, the person’s assessment of this environment as threatening, such as for instance expectations of rejection and concealment of one’s sexual orientation in an endeavor to deal with stigma. Many proximal to your self is internalized homophobia: the internalizations of heterosexist social attitudes and their application to self that is one’s. Coping efforts are a definite part that is central of stress model and Meyer has noted that, because it pertains to minority anxiety, people seek out other people and facets of their minority communities to be able to deal with minority anxiety. As an example, a powerful feeling of connectedness to minority that is one’s can buffer the harmful effects of minority anxiety.

Meyer and Dean (1998) have actually described internalized homophobia as the utmost insidious associated with minority stress processes for the reason that, it can become self-generating and persist even when individuals are not experiencing direct external devaluation although it stems from heterosexist social attitudes. It is critical to observe that despite being internalized and insidious, the minority anxiety framework locates internalized homophobia with its social beginning, stemming from prevailing heterosexism and prejudice that is sexual perhaps not from internal pathology or a character trait (Russell & Bohan, 2006).