Internalized Homophobia in Men: Wanting in the First Person Singular, Hating in the First Person Plural

Abstract

This paper focuses on the expression of internalized homophobia in men, arguing that the most powerful clinical use of this term depends upon its applicability to any man, without limitation to those whose primary object choice is homosexual. A number of dynamic situations are described to which the term might apply, elaborated by examples from contemporary culture and clinical practice. A central dynamic elucidated here is the move from an anxiety-ridden, first person singular voice to the promised safety of a first person plural voice--that is, from the dangerous position of "I want" to the more protected "we hate."