The Impact of Internalized Homophobia on Outness for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals

A set of statistical regression procedures were conducted to examine how being “out” to friends, family, and colleagues predicted scores on the IHP. Results suggested internalized homophobia is a predictor of outness to friends, colleagues, and extended family, but not nuclear family. This means that LGB individuals who experience higher degrees of internalized homophobia are less likely to be out to multiple groups of people, but not nuclear family. These findings are surprising considering the high degree of difficulty and anxiety associated with coming out to parents, the anticipated rejection by the nuclear family, and the fact that many LGB individuals remain closeted to family members indefinitely or until later in life.