David M. Frost

We examined the associations between internalized homophobia, outness, community connectedness, depressive signs, and relationship quality among a diverse community test of 396 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. Structural equation models revealed that internalized homophobia had been connected with greater relationship issues both generally speaking and among combined participants independent of outness and community connectedness. Depressive signs mediated the relationship between internalized homophobia and relationship dilemmas. This research improves present understandings of this relationship between internalized homophobia and relationship quality by differentiating amongst the aftereffects of the core construct of internalized homophobia and its particular correlates and results. The findings are of help for counselors thinking about interventions and therapy methods to help LGB individuals deal with internalized homophobia and relationship issues.

Internalized homophobia represents “the homosexual person’s way of negative social attitudes toward the self” (Meyer & Dean, 1998, p. 161) plus in its extreme types, it could resulted in rejection of one’s orientation that is sexual. Continue reading →