Social and Internalized Homophobia as a Source of Conflict: How Can We Improve the Quality of Communication?

Abstract

In this review, the major issues regarding how homophobia plays out in society from an institutional and individual point of view and create struggles in gay and bisexual men's social realities are examined. It is maintained here that the current societal situation in the U.S. prevents gay and bisexual men from enjoying equal rights and freedoms, because their sexuality is opposed to the societal norm of heterosexuality. Regarded as second-class citizens in society, gay and bisexual men may internalize homophobia and construct intrapersonal conflicts within themselves. Internalized homophobia constructs unhealthy social realities and experiences for gay and bisexual men and leads to them having to face communicative struggles frequently. This review of various literatures suggests that a better understanding of how social homophobia and internalized homophobia impact on gay and bisexual men provides a foundation for identifying new possibilities that would allow all GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender) individuals to improve the quality of their social interactions and more effectively resolve the intra- and interpersonal conflicts they encounter due to societal values that regard heterosexuality as the norm.

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Shinsuke Eguchi

Shinsuke Eguchi (B.A., San Francisco State University, 2006) is a Master of Arts graduate student in the Department of Culture and Communication at New York University