Effects of Internalized Homophobia
Tags: Internalized Homophobia, Mental Health, Homophobia, LGBTQ, Health

Internalized homophobia is something most LGBTQ+ people have found to be a battle at different points in their lives. It mostly stems from the homophobic, heterosexist, discriminatory culture that we have been taught by society as we grew up. Most of us were taught negative ideas about being homosexual. It was considered to be something wrong, bad and immoral, and in my community, it is considered a taboo to even think about it. It is mentioned in whispers and immediately termed as demonic. Constantly hearing such demeaning and negative depictions of LGBTQ+ individuals can lead to us internalizing these ideas and words. We carry them inside our hearts and minds and start viewing ourselves through the lenses of a homophobic society. Sometimes we don’t even realize that we are doing this to ourselves.

Internalized homophobia is a serious issue because it can affect the LGBTQ+ individual’s mental and physical health. Like every other issue affecting the world, internalized homophobia should not be left behind. People are still holding on to the ideologies of a homophobic society, forgetting that it is up to us to give them a real and positive view of the LGBTQ+ community. Some people within the LGBTQ+ community have ended up feeling contempt for themselves and other LGBTQ+ individuals. Others suffer from low esteem, negative body image and feel unworthy.

There is also the shame they feel for being queer and not living by societal expectations. As this gets worse, they end up alienating themselves from other LGBTQ+ people because they don’t want to be associated, lest someone questions their sexuality. Others chose to numb the pain by getting lost in substance abuse, practicing unsafe sex, getting into trouble with the law or being emotionally unavailable. In severe cases, some have denied their sexual orientation and lead a life that makes them miserable because they fear they will be outcasted when they admit the truth. The attempt to pass as heterosexual in hopes that they will gain the social approval or ‘be cured.’ They will constantly monitor their behaviours, mannerism in fear of being discovered and try as much as possible to align their beliefs and ideas with what the society states is ‘right.’ In the worst-case scenario, some end up committing suicide .

This just goes to show the tremendous impact internalized homophobia has on our mental health and the influence on our thoughts, feelings and mannerisms. A recent study revealed our daily lives have also been affected by internalized homophobia. It is linked to several negative outcomes in romantic relationships and non-romantic relationships in LGB individuals. In most cases, they end up struggling with long-term and committed relationships. They can be afraid of being in stable relationships and will subconsciously self-sabotage. In most scenarios, it also affects relationship quality and most of them find themselves in abusive and unfaithful relationships. It also comes with the burden of numbing discrimination and inequality. Because most of them cannot manage to deal with these negative global attitudes, they end up conforming to the dominant heterosexual culture while suppressing their own individual expressions.

On a positive note, recent findings have been useful for counselors interested in interventions and treatment approaches to help individuals to cope with internalized homophobia and relationship problems. It is important to change our personal views of ourselves. Therapy is an important tool in combating internalized or outward homophobia. It can help break down negative internal thoughts. Openly talking about this will help us understand that there is nothing wrong with us; we need to be comfortable with who we are and embrace and celebrate our sexuality. It will make us understand that internalized homophobia is something we can work through and not to be afraid of opening up and admitting we need support. There is a lot of peace in self — acceptance and we all deserve to be ourselves.

Personally, I wish someone had told me this earlier on in my life; things would have certainly been easier.

Lastly, society around us should step up to come up with a mindful approach. They say that it takes a whole village to raise a child. The world is a global village, and everyone has a responsibility to create an inclusive environment for all forms of sexuality and provide a warm environment for everyone.