Newsgroup: it.politica
Titolo: Homophobic? Maybe You’re Gay

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/opinion/sunday/homophobic-maybe-youre-gay.html?_r=1
 
 
Homophobic? Maybe You’re Gay
By RICHARD M. RYAN and WILLIAM S. RYAN
Published: April 27, 2012
 
WHY are political and religious figures who campaign against gay rights 
so often implicated in sexual encounters with same-sex partners?
 
Chloé Poizat
In recent years, Ted Haggard, an evangelical leader who preached that 
homosexuality was a sin, resigned after a scandal involving a former 
male prostitute; Larry Craig, a United States senator who opposed 
including sexual orientation in hate-crime legislation, was arrested on 
suspicion of lewd conduct in a men’s bathroom; and Glenn Murphy Jr., a 
leader of the Young Republican National Convention and an opponent of 
same-sex marriage, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge after being accused 
of sexually assaulting another man.
 
One theory is that homosexual urges, when repressed out of shame or 
fear, can be expressed as homophobia. Freud famously called this process 
a “reaction formation” — the angry battle against the outward symbol of 
feelings that are inwardly being stifled. Even Mr. Haggard seemed to 
endorse this idea when, apologizing after his scandal for his anti-gay 
rhetoric, he said, “I think I was partially so vehement because of my 
own war.”
 
It’s a compelling theory — and now there is scientific reason to believe 
it. In this month’s issue of the Journal of Personality and Social 
Psychology, we and our fellow researchers provide empirical evidence 
that homophobia can result, at least in part, from the suppression of 
same-sex desire.
 
Our paper describes six studies conducted in the United States and 
Germany involving 784 university students. Participants rated their 
sexual orientation on a 10-point scale, ranging from gay to straight. 
Then they took a computer-administered test designed to measure their 
implicit sexual orientation. In the test, the participants were shown 
images and words indicative of hetero- and homosexuality (pictures of 
same-sex and straight couples, words like “homosexual” and “gay”) and 
were asked to sort them into the appropriate category, gay or straight, 
as quickly as possible. The computer measured their reaction times.
 
The twist was that before each word and image appeared, the word “me” or 
“other” was flashed on the screen for 35 milliseconds — long enough for 
participants to subliminally process the word but short enough that they 
could not consciously see it. The theory here, known as semantic 
association, is that when “me” precedes words or images that reflect 
your sexual orientation (for example, heterosexual images for a straight 
person), you will sort these images into the correct category faster 
than when “me” precedes words or images that are incongruent with your 
sexual orientation (for example, homosexual images for a straight 
person). This technique, adapted from similar tests used to assess 
attitudes like subconscious racial bias, reliably distinguishes between 
self-identified straight individuals and those who self-identify as 
lesbian, gay or bisexual.
 
Using this methodology we identified a subgroup of participants who, 
despite self-identifying as highly straight, indicated some level of 
same-sex attraction (that is, they associated “me” with gay-related 
words and pictures faster than they associated “me” with 
straight-related words and pictures). Over 20 percent of self-described 
highly straight individuals showed this discrepancy.
 
Notably, these “discrepant” individuals were also significantly more 
likely than other participants to favor anti-gay policies; to be willing 
to assign significantly harsher punishments to perpetrators of petty 
crimes if they were presumed to be homosexual; and to express greater 
implicit hostility toward gay subjects (also measured with the help of 
subliminal priming). Thus our research suggests that some who oppose 
homosexuality do tacitly harbor same-sex attraction.
 
What leads to this repression? We found that participants who reported 
having supportive and accepting parents were more in touch with their 
implicit sexual orientation and less susceptible to homophobia. 
Individuals whose sexual identity was at odds with their implicit sexual 
attraction were much more frequently raised by parents perceived to be 
controlling, less accepting and more prejudiced against homosexuals.
 
It’s important to stress the obvious: Not all those who campaign against 
gay men and lesbians secretly feel same-sex attractions. But at least 
some who oppose homosexuality are likely to be individuals struggling 
against parts of themselves, having themselves been victims of 
oppression and lack of acceptance. The costs are great, not only for the 
targets of anti-gay efforts but also often for the perpetrators. We 
would do well to remember that all involved deserve our compassion.
 
Richard M. Ryan is a professor of psychology, psychiatry and education 
at the University of Rochester. William S. Ryan is a doctoral student in 
psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
-- 
-- 
Namib
 
Nous n'arrivons pas à changer les choses suivant notre désir, mais peu à 
peu notre désir change (M. Proust)

 Homophobic? Maybe You’re Gay
 
Per curiosita' : 
----------------
tu conosci (nel senso di conoscere bene, personalmente)
gente omofobica ? A me non mi son mai capitati. 
 
O forse con me "fingono", sapendo come la penso e 
sapendo che non esiterei a criticarli, e di brutto.
 
... Vallo a sapere. Boh.


beh chiappos... che ogni tre parole dice: cazzo, culo, frocio, 
inculare.... pare sia il sospettato maggiore ahjaahaah
 
-- 
Toby Burns

 ... Vallo a sapere. Boh.
 
mai trovato qualcuno che si presentasse con : buongiorno io sono un
omofobico e lei?
guardali con attenzione se hai un sospetto. valuta le battute.
 
"sentirai" qualcosa. chiedo scusa ma è una cosa che mi è capitato di
percepire diverse volte e la cosa piu' inadeguata è la
"malizia" (definiamola così)  che traspare.

 buongiorno io sono un omofobico e lei?
 
Credi di essere spiritoso, o pensi seriamente che io sia 
un qualche tipo di handicappato mentale ancora sconosciuto
alla scienza ? 

 alla scienza ?
 
dovendo scegliere la seconda. non erano battute (verso di te).

 dovendo scegliere la seconda. 
 
Ooooook : ciao e grazie.

 Ooooook : ciao e grazie.
 
e taglia, taglia e ritaglia caro massimiliano catanese :)
 
tanto sono tutti scemi.