Effeminacy and anti-effeminacy: interactions with internalized homophobia, outness, and masculinity

Abstract

Effeminacy and anti-effeminacy are central phenomena for understanding the relationships between gender and sexual orientation among Brazilian gay and bisexual men. The objective of this study is to investigate how effeminacy is related to measures of internalized homophobia, outness, and importance given to partner’s masculinity. This was a quantitative cross-sectional research, with an empirical survey format applied through an online platform. A total of 1123 gay men, bisexual men, and men who have sex with other men, over 18 years of age, with an average age of 26.85 years (SD = 8.51) and residents of all regions of Brazil participated in the study. The subjects answered a questionnaire with an internalized homophobia scale, a negative attitudes towards effeminacy scale, and a survey about outness, masculinity, and effeminacy. The results showed that there is a positive relationship with effeminacy which is associated with less internalized homophobia, fewer negative attitudes about effeminacy, less importance given to partner’s masculinity, and more outness.