Polish adaptation of the Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire

Abstract

Aim. The aim of the conducted research was to prepare the Polish adaptation of the Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire (DHEQ) by Kimberly Balsam et al. (2013) and to verify psychometric characteristics of the Polish adaptation. This original tool manages to address the experiences of prejudice and discrimination affecting LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people. Method. Data from 197 Polish LGBT participants were collected online. Mean age of participants was 31 years (M = 31.93; SD = 8.37). Nearly 17% (N = 33) of participants were transgender, a little over 19% (N = 38) described themselves as non-heterosexual women, while the remainder of the sample (N = 127; 64%) were self-described as homosexual, bisexual or pansexual men. The questionnaires included the Polish adaptation of the DHEQ and a control tool designed for the needs of this study. Results. The highest scores were found on factor describing experiences of 'Vicarious trauma', showing that learning about abuse and discrimination of other members of LGBT community is an important stressor for LGBT people. Other important stressors were 'Isolation' and 'Vigilance' describing feelings of loneliness and effort made in order to conceal LGBT identity. Of all the groups, the transgender people were the most exposed to heterosexism. Conclusions. The Polish adaptation of the DHEQ is characterized by good psychometric properties. The majority of the factors distinguished in the DHEQ are applicable to Polish cultural context.