Modern Homonegativity Scale – Gay Men (MHS-G)

Abstract

The Modern Homonegativity Scale – Gay Men (MHS-G) is a specialized instrument developed by Melanie A. Morrison and Todd G. Morrison to quantify subtle, contemporary expressions of bias directed specifically toward gay men. Unlike traditional measures that capture overt hostility, the MHS-G focuses on modern or symbolic prejudice, which is often socially acceptable and indirect. Comprising 12 items utilizing a 5-point Likert scale format, the scale assesses attitudes related to opposition to equality demands, resentment of perceived “special privileges,” and the denial of ongoing discrimination against gay men. The MHS-G is a critical tool in social psychology for distinguishing between “old-fashioned” and modern forms of anti-gay bias and is often used alongside its lesbian counterpart, the MHS-L.

Keywords

Homonegativity, Modern Prejudice, Symbolic Prejudice, Sexual Orientation, Gay Men, Attitude Scale, Psychometrics, Discrimination Measurement.

Authors

Melanie A. Morrison, Todd G. Morrison, A. V. Parriag.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the MHS-G is to provide a reliable and valid metric for measuring modern homonegativity against gay men. Traditional psychological instruments often fail to capture contemporary forms of bias because respondents are increasingly aware of social desirability norms, leading them to suppress overtly discriminatory responses. The MHS-G addresses this limitation by framing negative attitudes in culturally acceptable terms, focusing on issues such as perceived group overemphasis on sexuality and opposition to perceived unwarranted rights or privileges.

By specifically targeting subtle expressions of anti-gay sentiment, the MHS-G allows researchers to accurately predict crucial outcomes, including policy opposition, voting behavior against LGBTQ+ rights, and subtle discriminatory behaviors that are not predicted by older, explicit measures of anti-gay bias. This distinction is vital for researchers tracking the evolution of social attitudes and the mechanisms through which prejudice persists in egalitarian societies.

Construct

The MHS-G measures the psychological construct of Modern Homonegativity, which is grounded in symbolic prejudice theory. This theory posits that while overt hostility has declined, underlying negative attitudes toward minority groups persist and are expressed indirectly through opposition to institutional change and perceived violations of traditional values. For gay men, this modern bias manifests not as personal dislike, but as resistance to demands for equality and resentment toward perceived group power.

The construct is operationalized through three primary thematic components reflected in the 12 items: 1) Opposition to Equality Policies, which includes resistance to activism or protective legislation; 2) Resentment of Perceived Privileges, reflecting the belief that gay men are seeking unwarranted advantages or special treatment; and 3) Denial of Ongoing Discrimination, characterized by the belief that gay men exaggerate claims of mistreatment and should simply integrate without complaint. The summation of scores across these items yields a comprehensive measure of an individual’s endorsement of these subtle, modern biases.

Validity

The validation research conducted by Morrison and Morrison (2002) established the robust validity of the MHS-G. Construct validity was strongly supported by demonstrating theoretically consistent correlations with related variables, such as adherence to traditional gender roles and measures of political conservatism. Crucially, the MHS-G showed only low to moderate correlations with measures of traditional, overt homophobia, confirming that it successfully captures a unique dimension of bias that is empirically separable from explicit hostility.

Furthermore, the scale demonstrated strong discriminant validity, confirming that modern homonegativity is distinct from generalized negative affect or general misanthropy. This specificity ensures that the scale is targeting attitudes directed specifically toward gay men. Criterion validity is established through its predictive power, as high MHS-G scores consistently predict real-world outcomes, such as opposition to pro-gay legislative measures and support for policies that restrict the rights of sexual minorities.

Reliability

The MHS-G demonstrates high internal consistency, a critical indicator of its psychometric properties. Validation studies consistently reported strong Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, typically ranging between 0.85 and 0.90 across diverse samples. This high level of internal reliability confirms that all 12 items cohere effectively and measure the same underlying construct of modern homonegativity, making the scale highly dependable for precision in quantitative research.

While formal test-retest reliability data were not exhaustively detailed in the initial summary, the scale’s established use in longitudinal studies implicitly suggests adequate temporal stability. The instrument is considered reliable for assessing relatively stable individual attitudes toward gay men, provided that the methodological context is appropriate for measuring enduring social attitudes.

Factor Analysis

Factor analytic techniques were central to the development and refinement of the MHS-G, ensuring its structural integrity. Both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), as detailed in the original 2002 validation paper, typically support a single, dominant factor structure. This unidimensionality confirms that the 12 items collectively measure a single construct—overall modern homonegativity—thereby justifying the use of a single total score.

The factor structure empirically supports the theoretical distinction between modern and traditional prejudice. The MHS-G items consistently cluster away from measures of explicit, hostile attitudes, confirming that the scale successfully isolates and measures symbolic opposition and institutional resistance rather than simple affective dislike or open hostility toward gay men.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report attitude scale

Format: 5-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree; 5=strongly agree)

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: General population, primarily used to assess the attitudes of heterosexual individuals toward gay men.

Age Group: Adults (Typically 18 years and older)

Population Details: The scale was originally validated using university student samples and general population samples, primarily within Western countries (e.g., Canada and the US), contexts where the expression of modern homonegativity is most relevant.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their level of agreement with 12 statements. To mitigate acquiescence response bias, specific items (marked with an asterisk) are reverse-scored. A higher total score derived from the scale indicates a greater level of modern homonegativity toward gay men.

Keywords

Attitude Measurement, Social Psychology, Discrimination, MHS-G, Sexual Minorities, Symbolic Bias, Psychological testing.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, 9 Campus Drive, 184 Arts Bldg., Saskatoon, SK Canada S7N 5A5

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Modern Homonegativity Scale – Gay Men (MHS-G) was initially developed and validated with its first publication in 2002. The instrument is generally available for use in non-commercial academic research without a fee. Researchers planning commercial use or substantial adaptation of the scale are advised to contact the primary author, Melanie A. Morrison, for formal permission. The original instrument details and source information are accessible online: http://www.midss.org/content/modern-homonegativity-scale-mhs.

Reference’s

• Morrison, M. A., & Morrison, T. G. (2002). Development and validation of a scale measuring modern prejudice toward gay men and lesbian women. J Homosex, 43(2), 15-37.
• Morrison TG1, Parriag AV, Morrison MA. The psychometric properties of the Homonegativity Scale. J Homosex. 1999;37(4):111-26.

Items of the Modern Homonegativity Scale – Gay Men (MHS-G)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. Many gay men use their sexual orientation so that they can obtain special privileges.
2. Gay men seem to focus on the ways in which they differ from heterosexuals‚ and ignore the ways in which they are the same.
3. Gay men do not have all the rights they need.*
4. The notion of universities providing students with undergraduate degrees in Gay and Lesbian Studies is ridiculous.
5. Celebrations such as “Gay Pride Day” are ridiculous because they assume that an individual’s sexual orientation should constitute a source of pride.
6. Gay men still need to protest for equal rights.*
7. Gay men should stop shoving their lifestyle down other people’s throats.
8. If gay men want to be treated like everyone else‚ then they need to stop making such a fuss about their sexuality/culture.
9. Gay men who are “out of the closet” should be admired for their courage.*
10. Gay men should stop complaining about the way they are treated in society‚ and simply get on with their lives.
11. In today’s tough economic times‚ Canadians’ tax dollars shouldn’t be used to support gay men’s organizations.
12. Gay men have become far too confrontational in their demand for equal rights.

Note: Items marked with an asterisk (*) are reverse scored. The scoring format uses a 5-point scale: 1=strongly disagree; 2=disagree; 3=don’t know; 4=agree; 5=strongly agree.