You've probably seen the headline: "Science proves homophobes are secretly gay." It gets shared a lot. But what does the research actually say? And where is the real, proven body science in this story?
Here's the short answer. The evidence about the bodies of people who hold homophobic views is interesting but limited. The evidence about the bodies of people on the receiving end of homophobia is much stronger.
First, what is homophobia?
Despite the name, homophobia isn't a medical phobia or a diagnosis. It's an everyday word for prejudice: dislike, fear or hostility towards lesbian, gay and bisexual people. That matters, because it means we're talking about attitudes, not an illness.
The famous 1996 study
The "secretly gay" idea mostly comes from one American study (Adams, Wright and Lohr, 1996). Researchers recruited 64 men who described themselves as straight. Using a questionnaire, 35 were grouped as homophobic and 29 as not.
The men watched three types of explicit film: straight, lesbian and gay male. A device measured changes in the size of their penis. Both groups responded to the straight and lesbian films. Only the homophobic group showed a measurable response to the gay male film. The researchers suggested homophobia may be linked to same-sex arousal that a man is unaware of, or denies.
So is that proof? Not quite. Critics have pointed out some real problems (Marczyk, 2015):
- It was small. 64 men, all from one US university. One small study is never proof on its own.
- The device measures blood flow, not desire. Strong emotions such as anxiety can also cause a physical response. The body can react to something without wanting it.
- It only tested men. It tells us nothing about women's attitudes.
The 2012 follow-up
A larger set of four experiments in the US and Germany took a different approach (Weinstein et al., 2012). Instead of measuring bodies, researchers measured split-second reaction times to pictures and words. This is a way of picking up feelings people may not say out loud.
They found that people who called themselves straight, but whose reactions hinted at same-sex attraction, were more likely to show hostility towards gay people. This was strongest in people raised by controlling parents who were themselves hostile to gay people.
Again, a word of caution. Reaction-time tests are indirect. And these studies show a link, not that every homophobic person is hiding something.
Personality, not biology
An Italian study of 551 university students aged 18 to 30 looked at the psychology behind homophobia (Ciocca et al., 2015). Higher homophobia was linked to:
- "Immature" defence mechanisms: ways of coping with uncomfortable feelings, such as pushing them onto other people.
- A fearful attachment style: finding closeness to others worrying or threatening.
- Being male: men scored higher than women on average.
Key insight
There is no proven biological cause of homophobia: no gene, hormone or brain scan that "shows" it. The evidence points to upbringing, learned attitudes and how people cope with their own feelings. That's good news, because learned attitudes can be unlearned.
Where the physiology is proven
The strongest body science is about what prejudice does to the people it targets. Researchers call this minority stress: the extra, ongoing stress of facing prejudice, expecting rejection or hiding who you are (Meyer, 2003).
In one experiment, 141 lesbian, gay and bisexual adults did a stressful interview (Huebner et al., 2021). Half were told their interviewer held anti-gay views. Compared with the other half, that group had:
- a bigger rise in heart rate and blood pressure
- slower blood pressure recovery afterwards
- a rise in cortisol, the body's main stress hormone (the other group showed no significant rise)
A study of 124 trans and non-binary people found a similar pattern over time (DuBois et al., 2024). Those facing the most stigma had a flattened daily cortisol rhythm, with stress hormone levels still raised at bedtime. Feeling connected to their community was linked to a healthier pattern.
The evidence at a glance
| Study | Who took part | What it found | How strong? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams et al. (1996) | 64 straight men, US | Homophobic men showed a physical response to gay male films | Weak: small, one-off |
| Weinstein et al. (2012) | Students, US and Germany (4 experiments) | Hidden same-sex attraction plus controlling parents linked to hostility | Moderate: indirect tests |
| Ciocca et al. (2015) | 551 students, Italy | Linked to coping style, fearful attachment and being male | Moderate: questionnaires |
| Huebner et al. (2021) | 141 LGB adults, US | Anti-gay attitudes raised heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol | Strong: randomised experiment |
The UK picture
Police in England and Wales recorded 18,702 hate crimes based on sexual orientation in the year to March 2025, and 3,809 based on transgender identity (Home Office, 2025). In a YouGov survey of 5,000 LGBT people for Stonewall, 52% had experienced depression in the past year, and 14% had avoided healthcare for fear of discrimination (Stonewall, 2018).
Worth remembering
Calling someone "secretly gay" as an insult makes being gay the punchline. The science doesn't support it, and it doesn't help the people homophobia actually harms.
If this affects you
- Switchboard LGBT+ helpline: 0800 0119 100 (switchboard.lgbt)
- Galop, the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity: 0800 999 5428 (galop.org.uk)
- Samaritans: 116 123, free, any time
- Talk to your GP if stress is affecting your sleep, mood or health.
And if you can, stay connected. The research suggests community is one of the best buffers we have.
References
Adams, H.E., Wright, L.W. and Lohr, B.A. (1996) 'Is homophobia associated with homosexual arousal?', Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105(3), pp. 440–445. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8772014/ (Accessed: 27 September 2026).
Ciocca, G. et al. (2015) 'Psychoticism, immature defense mechanisms and a fearful attachment style are associated with a higher homophobic attitude', The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 12(9), pp. 1953–1960. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsm.12975 (Accessed: 27 September 2026).
DuBois, L.Z. et al. (2024) 'Gender minority stress and diurnal cortisol profiles among transgender and gender diverse people in the United States', Hormones and Behavior, 159, 105473. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105473 (Accessed: 27 September 2026).
Home Office (2025) Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2025. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-year-ending-march-2025/hate-crime-england-and-wales-year-ending-march-2025 (Accessed: 27 September 2026).
Huebner, D.M. et al. (2021) 'Cardiovascular and cortisol responses to experimentally-induced minority stress', Health Psychology, 40(5), pp. 316–325. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001067 (Accessed: 27 September 2026).
Marczyk, J. (2015) 'Examining arousal and homophobia', Psychology Today, 3 July. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/pop-psych/201507/examining-arousal-and-homophobia (Accessed: 27 September 2026).
Meyer, I.H. (2003) 'Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: conceptual issues and research evidence', Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), pp. 674–697. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674 (Accessed: 27 September 2026).
Stonewall (2018) LGBT in Britain – Health. Available at: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/resources/lgbt-britain-health-2018 (Accessed: 27 September 2026).
Weinstein, N. et al. (2012) 'Parental autonomy support and discrepancies between implicit and explicit sexual orientations: dynamics of self-acceptance and defense', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102(4), pp. 815–832. Available at: https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/2012_WeinsteinEtAl_JPSP.pdf (Accessed: 27 September 2026).
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The content provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your GP, psychiatrist or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Never start, stop or change a prescribed medicine without speaking to your prescriber first.
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