Getting Straight about Male Homophobia: Rejecting the Reaction Formation Theory in Favor of Socialized Male Peer Acceptance

Abstract

The predominant explanation of male homophobia, for lay persons and professionals alike, is a Freudian reaction formation against one’s own repressed or suppressed homoerotic desires. Instead, the primary motivation for homophobic behavior by men and boys is avoiding social shaming and maintaining social acceptance. In short, men and boys display homophobic behavior not because they fear that they are homosexual, but because they fear that other males might think that they are homosexual.