Jim Andris, Facebook

Are You Homophobic?

Could a homosexual be a good president?

By Jim Andris, For The Alestle

Do you reinforce your masculinity by noting publicly your disapproval of homosexuals? Do you speak with derision about "fags" and "queers,"? Do you dislike passivity in people, thinking that the really superior people are active and aggressive? Would you be furious if your son or daughter turned out to be a homosexual? Are you afraid of surrendering control in social situations? Are you afraid to show or even feel physical affection for members of your own sex? Do you shrink in fear of another naked male body?

If you answered any of these questions positively, you may be a homphobe. Someone who is prejudiced against homosexuals. Some psychiatrists have even said that they would never consider a patient healthy unless he overcomes his prejudice against homosexuality. Kenneth Smith has studied homophobia. He has developed a hompphobic scale and related it to other character- istics of people. Scattered among 24 items were the following:

1. Homosexuals should be locked up to protect society.
   √ yes no
2. It would be upsetting for me to find out I was alone with a homosexual.
   √ yes no
3. Homosexuals should be allowed to hold government positions.
   yes √ no
4. I would not want to be a member of an organization which ,had any homosexuals in its membership. √ yes no
5. I fmd the thought of homosexual acts disgusting.
   √ yes no
6. If laws against homosexuality were eliminated, the proportion of homosexuals in the population would probably remain about the same.
   yes √ no
7. A homosexual could be a good President of the United States.
   yes √ no
8. I would be afraid for a child of mine to have a teacher who was homosexual.
   √ yes no
9. If a homosexual sat next to me on a bus I would get nervous.
   √ yes no

The homphobic responses are checked. You might want to see what your answers to these nine items would be.

The remaining fifteen items on Smith's scale were created to ~ample opinions on varied issues. He then gave the scale to 130 students at his university. He found that homophobes tended to agree [more] with the following four statements than did the non-homophobes:

1. My country right or wrong" is a very admirable attitude.
2. It is only natural to find the thought of mental 'illness'disturbing.
3. Sexual fidelity is vital to a love relationship.
4. Although I don't always like to admit it, I would like friends to see me with a big house and fine car after I graduate.

On the other hand, those who scored high on the homophobic part of the scale tended to disagree significantly more with the following three items than did non-homophobes.

1. There is nothing wrong with a man's being passive when he feels like it.
2. A belief in God is not so important to the maintenance of morality.
3. The income and professional level of a job are not so important to me as being happy in the work. I do.