Denial of your sexual orientation to yourself and others.Ġ2. Internalised homophobia manifests itself in varying ways that can be linked to mental health. It is during these formative years when people are coming to understand and acknowledge their sexual orientation that internalised homophobia can really affect a person. Research carried out in Northern Ireland into the needs of young LGBT people in 2003 revealed that the average age for men to realise their sexual orientation was 12, yet the average age they actually confided in someone was 17. You, like many lesbian, gay and bisexual people, may have hidden your sexual orientation for a long time. Some LGB people suffer from mental distress as a result.Ī general sense of personal worth and also a positive view of your sexual orientation are critical for your mental health. Hearing and seeing negative depictions of LGB people can lead us to internalise, or take in, these negative messages. Internalised homophobia and oppression happens to gay, lesbian and bisexual people, and even heterosexuals, who have learned and been taught that heterosexuality is the norm and “correct way to be”.
