By Adam Glen – Though Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has made it clear he’s fine being ridiculously homophobic, he may want to calm it down, with the release of new study results.
The study was carried out by a team of researchers from the University of Rochester and the University of California, in the US, and the University of Essex in the UK. Its main finding is that homophobia is more pronounced in individuals with an unacknowledged attraction to the same sex. The study is the first to link sexual orientation and the effect parenting has on the formation of homophobic behaviour, ranging from intense fear of homosexuals to outright violence against them.
The final results of the study will be published in the April 2012 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Speaking of homophobes, the queer community has turned its eyes toward a homophobic and poorly written headline from the Oshawa/Durham Central. The paper featured an editorial criticizing Oshawa Councillor Amy England for dressing as Bruno Mars at a drag show hosted by a local PFLAG chapter. Quotes in the article describe the event as “a freak convention.” The author complains that “heterosexual taxpayers” could not hold an event in a strip club without being called perverts. Publisher Joe Ingino has defended the rant, saying he’s simply reflecting the views of his readers.
The full story can be found on Xtra.