I was thinking about virulent gay bashers...

[Wetzelbill]

I actually know one or two, of course, I am originally from a sparsely populated rural state. A gay pride parade in my hometown would be called "target practice" as the old joke goes. Stark fear and ignorance, if not outright hatred, of homosexuality is prevalent. Childhood games take on names such as "Smear the Queer" and "fag" is the ultimate insult. However, I have noticed something about gay bashers.

The worst ones seem to be rather effete and effeminate. I have one friend, in particular, who, while not someone who speaks violently about gays, definitely has a negative view of them, yet, a few other friends of mine, and two brothers, both thought this guy was gay. He comes across like that sometimes, and, in fact, when we were roommates he took great pains to act overtly masculine. He overcompensates his masculinity constantly, bragging about his sex life etc. I also have other reasons from conversations with him and so on, to think he may be somewhat attracted to men. But, he's outwardly very homophobic and cracks gay jokes all the time. I always thought it was pretty weird. Now, he does have a girlfriend, but he always struck me as a guy who is fighting back an attraction to men. Anyway, I'll get to my point.

I was wondering just how many of the most virulent gay bashers are closet cases themselves? I wonder if they have some sort of self-loathing about it? I'm quite curious about that, I think it would be an interesting topic to have some data on, if you could ever find a way to get some. I know years ago two guys started a program to "Cure" people of being gay, until they gave the program up because they fell in love with each other. I see people like Tom DeLay rail about Christian values, while he was running a criminal enterprise out of his office. Bill Bennett extolling virtues and fighting vices while he had a gambling problem. The one anti-abortion activist who had several abortions herself. It seems that people always hate what they have become.

That something inside them loathes who they are. So they violently lash out against that. I just find that phenomenon interesting. I don't know, just curious what you all think.

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. A compelling case has been made by many researchers

... that one of the prevailent roots of homophobia in men is the fear that they might be sexually attracted to other men.

[varun]

2. Research supports the hypothesis that...

...homophobic men are more likely to be latent homosexuals. There was some professor in University of Georgia who showed that homophobic University students (males) were aroused more by pictures of naked men, than non homophobic students (males). He used a penile plethysmograph to measure erection in students as they watched nude pictures of men and women.

[Ian David]

3. While the premise is certainly true, the experiment has been debunked

The machine he used to measure "arrousal" has been proven worthless.

However, a better designed experiment would certainly prove his theory to be true.

[Wetzelbill]

4. wow that is interesting

I'd think it would be tough to get the experiment just right. Seems like an experiment that wouldn't be easily designed.

[Ian David]

6. You'll need to use a Functional MRI

Maybe Functional MRI or pupil dilation measurement?

The penis-swelling-measuring-machine is useless as a scientific tool.



But it might be fun at parties.

[Wetzelbill]

8. hahaha

yes it might :)

[Warpy]

5. This was proven by a study at the U Ga, of all places, that

measured penile girth as a measure of arousal in phobic and non phobic men when they were shown gay porn. The homophobes all experienced a degree of arousal, while the non phobes did not.

It's one thing Freud was right about.

[badgerpup]

7. Non-scientific, but...

Grew up with gay friends during mis-spent youth, so developed pretty reliable 'gaydar'.
Met some really homophobic men who were, in the parlance of the time 'closet cases' or 'closet queens'.
Some of the actually came out...and were much nicer people for the emergence...but it was always the homophobes who 'changed their luck'.
The straight guys who didn't have a problem with the gay guys' orientation never did switch,
at least in my experience.
:shrug:

[Wetzelbill]

9. yeah

that is odd. I have never known of a straight non-homophobe guy who ever made the switch.

[long_green]

10. I had a counselor in camp who told "funny stories"

about football player friends of his who would hang out in "gay areas" to pick up and assault homosexuals. This was many years ago (in the South) and I wonder if my counselor (a good guy with some horrible prejudices) kept in touch with his basher friends. He was probably surprised.

[pocket]

11. funny, I wass just thinking about virile gays

:D

[Wetzelbill]

14. rimshot

:)

[JackBeck]

12. Fred Phelps allegedly was busted in a bathroom.

I've seen people holding signs at counter-demonstrations listing the docket number of his arrest for soliciting men for sex in bathrooms.

Go figure.

[Wetzelbill]

13. see now that doesn't surprise me

if it indeed is true.