Is some homophobia self-phobia?

A series of psychology studies have been reported as demonstrating that 'Homophobia' is more pronounced in individuals with an unacknowledged attraction to the same sex and who grew up with authoritarian parents who forbade such desires.

The study, conducted by a team from the University of Rochester, the University of Essex, England, and the University of California in Santa Barbara, is the first to document the role that both parenting and sexual orientation play in the formation of intense and visceral fear of homosexuals, including self-reported homophobic attitudes, discriminatory bias, implicit hostility towards gays, and endorsement of anti-gay policies.

Netta Weinstein, a lecturer at the University of Essex and the study's lead author makes the point that "Individuals who identify as straight but in psychological tests show a strong attraction to the same sex may be threatened by gays and lesbians because homosexuals remind them of similar tendencies within themselves". Co-author Richard Ryan, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester who helped direct the research made the further point that "In many cases these are people who are at war with themselves and they are turning this internal conflict outward".

Read more of the interesting article on ScienceDaily: Is some homophobia self-phobia?

This article does make me wonder about the attitiude towards homosexuality of the, enforced, celibate clergy of the Roman Catholic Church amongst others!