The Psychology of Sexual Prejudice

Herek, Gregory M.

doi:10.1111/1467-8721.00051

Cited by 767 publications

(639 citation statements)

References 12 publications

(20 reference statements)

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“…Applied to lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals, a minority stress model posits that sexual Herek, 2000) is stressful and may lead to adverse mental health outcomes (Brooks, 1981;Cochran, 2001;DiPlacido, 1998;Krieger & Sidney, 1997;Meyer, 1995).…”

Section: Minority Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence.

Meyer¹

2013

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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In this article the author reviews research evidence on the prevalence of mental disorders in lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals (LGBs) and shows, using meta-analyses, that LGBs have a higher prevalence of mental disorders than heterosexuals. The author offers a conceptual framework for understanding this excess in prevalence of disorder in terms of minority stress-explaining that stigma, prejudice, and discrimination create a hostile and stressful social environment that causes mental health problems. The model describes stress processes, including the experience of prejudice events, expectations of rejection, hiding and concealing, internalized homophobia, and ameliorative coping processes. This conceptual framework is the basis for the review of research evidence, suggestions for future research directions, and exploration of public policy implications.The study of mental health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations has been complicated by the debate on the classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder during the 1960s and early 1970s. That debate posited a gay-affirmative perspective, which sought to declassify homosexuality, against a conservative perspective, which sought to retain the classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder (Bayer, 1981). Although the debate on classification ended in 1973 with the removal of homosexuality from the second edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM;American Psychiatric Association, 1973), its heritage has lasted. This heritage has tainted discussion on mental health of lesbians and gay men by associating-even equating-claims that LGB people have higher prevalences of mental disorders than heterosexual people with the historical antigay stance and the stigmatization of LGB persons (Bailey, 1999).However, a fresh look at the issues should make it clear that whether LGB populations have higher prevalences of mental disorders is unrelated to the classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder. A retrospective analysis would suggest that the attempt to find a scientific answer in that debate rested on flawed logic. The debated scientific question was, Is homosexuality a mental disorder? The operationalized research question that pervaded the debate was, Do homosexuals have high prevalences of mental disorders? But the research did not accurately operationalize the scientific question. The question of whether homosexuality should be considered a mental disorder is a question about classification. It can be answered by debating which behaviors, cognitions, or emotions should be considered indicators of a mental disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). To use postmodernist understanding of scientific knowledge, such a debate on classification concerns the social construction of mental disorder-what we as a society and as scientists agree are abnormal behaviors, cognitions, and emotions. The answer, therefore, depends on scientific and social consensus that evolves and is subject to the vicissitudes ...

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Section: Minority Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence.

Meyer¹

2013

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

1,538

112

2,447

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As regards gay men, historical, sociological, and psychological research demonstrates the existence of sexual prejudice (negative attitudes based on sexual orientation) and the effects that such attitudes have on the everyday experiences of them (Herek, 2000). Gay employees who are subject to unequal treatment at work describe a variety of experiences that range from discomfort and signs of embarrassment on the part of managers and colleagues to exclusion and insults by colleagues (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights report, 2009).…”

Section: Using the 2003 Canadian Communitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Men's sexual orientation and job satisfaction

Drydakis

2012

International Journal of Manpower

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“…We sought to examine similarities and differences between opposition to trans persons' rights and heterosexism; prejudice against lesbians and gay men (Herek, 2000). We explored heterosexism as a tentative model for prejudice against trans persons for three reasons.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting opposition to the civil rights of trans persons in the United Kingdom

Tee

Hegarty

2006

J. Community. Appl. Soc. Psychol.

124

135

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Although there is considerable evidence that trans persons are victims of discrimination, social psychologists have rarely explored prejudice against this minority group. We extrapolated from models of heterosexism to test hypotheses about support for and opposition to trans persons' civil rights. Opposition to trans persons civil rights among 151 participants was correlated with heterosexism, authoritarianism, a belief that there are only two sexes, beliefs that gender is biologically based and several demographic variables. Linear regression showed that heterosexism, authoritarianism, contact with sexual minorities and beliefs in biological gender predicted unique variance in opposition to trans persons' civil rights. Differences and similarities between prejudice towards sexual and gender minorities are discussed.

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The Psychology of Sexual Prejudice

Abstract: Sexual prejudice refers to negative attitudes toward an individual because of her or his sexual orientation. In this

Cited by 767 publications

References 12 publications

Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence.

Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence.

Men's sexual orientation and job satisfaction

Predicting opposition to the civil rights of trans persons in the United Kingdom

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