Homonegativity among Professional School Counselors: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Homonegativity among female professional school counselors (n = 215) representing a single Southern state was measured using adapted versions of the Homonegativity Scale (HS) and the Modern Homonegativity Scale (MHS). With the use of factorial analysis of variance, significant differences (p < .05) were found when HS and MHS scores were compared by (a) having a gay or lesbian friend or personal acquaintance, (b) frequency of church attendance, (c) participation in training about gay or lesbian sexual orientations in the 12 months prior to the study, and (d) having worked as a counselor with gay or lesbian people. Significant differences (p < .05) were found only for MHS scores when responses were compared by (a) race and (b) political affiliation.

Sexual Orientation Bias Toward Gay Men and Lesbian Women: Modern Homonegative Attitudes and Their Association With Discriminatory Behavioral Intentions1

“…Thus, while old‐fashioned homonegativity has not disappeared, modern prejudice toward gay men and lesbian women appears to have somewhat greater currency among the nonstudent samples employed in the present research. Studies conducted by Satcher and Leggett (2006, 2007) with samples of counselors residing in the southern United States obtained a similar difference. Further, the correspondence between modern homonegativity, racism, and sexism confirms the theoretical proposition that these diverse forms of prejudice are interrelated (Guindon, Green, & Hanna, 2003).…”

“…At present, only two published studies have examined modern homonegativity among nonstudents. Both focused on modern and old‐fashioned homonegativity among school counselors residing within the southern United States (Satcher & Leggett, 2006, 2007) and revealed that endorsement rates for modern homonegative scale items were greater than endorsement rates for old‐fashioned items. These results led the authors to conclude that participants' objections to gay men and lesbian women were not based on moralistic grounds but, rather, on issues of equality and social justice.…”

“…These results led the authors to conclude that participants' objections to gay men and lesbian women were not based on moralistic grounds but, rather, on issues of equality and social justice. Our study aims to complement Satcher and Leggett's (2006, 2007) work and to address, more generally, the dearth of research examining modern prejudice toward gay men and lesbian women using nonstudent samples.…”

“…A sample item is “If lesbian women [gay men] want to be treated like everyone else, then they need to stop making such a fuss about their sexuality/culture.” For both versions, total scores can range from 12 to 60. Previous research has documented scale score reliability and validity (Morrison & Morrison, 2002; Morrison, Kenny, & Harrington, 2005; Satcher & Leggett, 2006, 2007).…”

Measuring homonegativity: A psychometric analysis.

“…Several other scales have been developed to measure homonegativity (e.g., the Homosexuality Attitude Scale by Kite & Deaux, 1986; Heterosexual Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Scale by Larsen, Reed, & Hoffman, 1980; single-item thermometer used by Haddock, Zanna, & Esses, 1993), but none have achieved the popularity and credibility of the Index of Homophobia or the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men scale. Although the Modern Homonegativity Scale is not as widely used, it has attained a measure of credibility (e.g., T. G. Morrison, Kenny, & Harrington, 2005;Satcher & Legget, 2007).…”