Theos-Talk Archives (August 2004 Message tt00219)

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Bart Lidofsky <bartl@s...> wrote:
> stevestubbs wrote:
> > If it matters, homophobia is an instance of what psychologists 
> > call "reaction formation," a defense mechanism in which one reacts 
> > strongly to an attribute in others which he finds repulsive in 
> > himself. 
> 
> That's just a way to shut people up. "If you disapprove of 
> homosexuality, that's proof that you're a homosexual."
> 
> Bart

There is actual scientific evidence of the phenomenon. Higher levels
of expressed disgust at homosexuality correlated with higher levels of
arousal at homosexual erotica as measured by a device designed to
measure such things. (Will leave that to the imagination.) 

You're putting words into Steve's mouth. He didn't say all
disapproval of homosexuality was homophobia, but rather suggested an
origin for homophobia-- which is something rather more obsessive and
extreme than mere disapproval. Here's a site that discusses both the
phenomenon, the history of the term, the defensive denial that there
is any such phenomenon by certain conservatives, etc.:

http://www.ebroadcast.com.au/lookup/encyclopedia/ho/Homophobia.html

Rick Santorum, for example, appears to be truly and extremely obsessed
with the subject-- perhaps for reasons suggested by Steve's hypothesis
and the research I refer to.

Here's a link to the research:
http://www.apa.org/releases/homophob.html