Self-Identified Lesbian Internalized Homophobia Scale

Abstract

The Self-Identified Lesbian Internalized Homophobia Scale (SLIHS) is a self-administered psychological instrument designed to specifically measure the degree of internalized homophobia experienced by women who identify as lesbian. Developed by Stacy Weibley and Michelle Hindin, the scale was created to address a significant deficit in the existing psychological literature, which predominantly relied on measures tailored for gay men. The SLIHS consists of 30 closed-ended questions and is structured around four distinct subscales: Visibility, Connectedness, Self-Acceptance, and Judgment. Completion of the survey generally takes approximately three minutes.

Keywords

Internalized homophobia, lesbian, GLBT, psychometric scale, self-acceptance, visibility, mental health, psychological measurement

Authors

Stacy Weibley, Michelle Hindin

Purpose

The primary purpose of the SLIHS is to provide a reliable and culturally sensitive measure of internalized homophobia specifically tailored for women who self-identify as lesbian. This development was crucial because previous research often utilized scales validated primarily among gay men, failing to capture the unique cultural and psychological nuances of the lesbian experience. The scale aims to facilitate research into the relationship between internalized homophobia and adverse mental health outcomes, such as elevated rates of mental health issues and substance abuse observed within the broader GLBT community.

By accurately quantifying this construct in lesbians, the SLIHS helps researchers and clinicians better understand the mechanisms through which societal stigma manifests internally. It provides a distinct tool necessary for developing targeted interventions and support services, distinguishing it from earlier measures that suffered from limitations such as small sample sizes, lack of theoretical support, or confounding internalized homophobia with general psychological distress or personality traits.

Construct

The SLIHS measures internalized homophobia, defined as the direction of negative societal attitudes and stereotypes towards one’s own sexual identity. The construct is broken down into four measurable components, represented by the scale’s subscales:

• Visibility: Measures the comfort level and willingness of the individual to disclose their lesbian identity in various social and professional settings (e.g., being “out” to family or co-workers).
• Connectedness: Assesses the feeling of belonging or affiliation with the lesbian community and other lesbians, contrasting feelings of isolation or difference.
• Self-Acceptance: Focuses on the individual’s internal emotional state regarding their sexual orientation, measuring feelings of comfort, pride, or conversely, disappointment or embarrassment about being lesbian.
• Judgment: Captures the internalization of negative societal stereotypes and prejudices, manifesting as critical attitudes or negative judgments toward other lesbians or the lesbian community as a whole.

Validity

The development of the SLIHS prioritized strong validity to ensure it accurately measured the intended construct among lesbians. The original scale items were generated using the concept mapping technique, involving lesbian focus group participants to ensure ecological and cultural relevance. This qualitative process strengthens the scale’s content validity.

Additionally, the construct validity of the SLIHS was rigorously assessed and affirmed by a panel of 14 face and content validity reviewers, comprised of experts in the field. This review process ensured that the items logically and comprehensively covered the domain of internalized homophobia as experienced by lesbian women.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the SLIHS was thoroughly examined using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) during its validation phase. The results confirmed the strong internal reliability of the four hypothesized subscales. The internal consistency was quantified using the Cronbach coefficient alpha, with values ranging from .74 to .85 across the four subscales. These values indicate acceptable to good internal consistency, suggesting that the items within each subscale reliably measure the same underlying dimension of internalized homophobia.

Factor Analysis

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed to establish the psychometric integrity of the SLIHS structure. This analysis confirmed the hypothesized four-factor structure corresponding to the subscales: Visibility, Connectedness, Self-Acceptance, and Judgment. The statistical confirmation of this structure supports the theoretical framework established by Weibley and Hindin, demonstrating that these four factors are distinct yet related components of the broader construct of internalized homophobia in lesbians.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-administered survey / Psychological Inventory

Format: 30 closed-ended questions using a 4-point Likert-type scale.

Language Available: English (Original development language).

Population Group: Women who self-identify as lesbian.

Age Group: Adults (validated sample spanned ages 18 to 82).

Population Details: The scale was validated on a large sample of 786 women residing across 39 states in the United States. The demographic breakdown of the sample was 81.7% White, 4.7% Hispanic, 4.6% Asian, 4.4% African American, 3.8% Biracial, and 0.8% other.

Test Methodology: The scoring system calculates both overall scores (ranging from 30 to 120) and individual subscale scores, where higher scores indicate greater internalized homophobia. The Likert scale uses 1 to 4 points, with approximately half of the items being reverse-scored (R). The standard scoring is: Strongly Agree = 1, Agree = 2, Disagree = 3, and Strongly Disagree = 4. Reversed items use the structure: Strongly Agree = 4, Agree = 3, Disagree = 2, and Strongly Disagree = 1.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was copyrighted by Stacy Weibley in 2009. Researchers interested in using the scale should contact the primary author regarding permissions and any associated fees.

Reference’s

• DiPlacido, J. (1998). Minority stress among lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals: A consequence of heterosexism, homophobia, and stigmatization. In G. Herek (Ed.), Stigma and sexual orientation: Understanding prejudice against lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals (pp. 138–159). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Meyer, I. H. (1995). Minority stress and mental health in gay men. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 36, 38–56.
• Peterson, T. L., & Gerrity, D. A. (2006). Internalized homophobia, lesbian identity development, and self-esteem in undergraduate women. Journal of Homosexuality, 50(4), 49–75.
• Radonsky, V. E., & Borders, L. D. (1995). Factors influencing lesbians’ direct disclosure of their sexual orientation. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy, 2(3), 17–37.
• Szymanski, D. M., & Chung, Y. B. (2001). The lesbian internalized homophobia scale: A rational/theoretical approach. Journal of Homosexuality, 41(2), 37–52.
• Trochim, W. (1989). An introduction to concept mapping for planning and evaluation. Evaluation and Program Planning, 12, 1–16.
• Weibley, S. (2009). Creating a scale to measure internalized homophobia among self-identified lesbians. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.

Items of the Self-Identified Lesbian Internalized Homophobia Scale

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

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
I am comfortable being “out.”
I am “out” to my boss/employer.
I am “out” to my co-workers.
I am “out” to my parents.
I feel comfortable discussing homosexuality in a public setting.
When discussing your partner, it is all right to use gender neutral pronouns to make heterosexual people more comfortable. [R]
When/if I am in a relationship, I feel comfortable talking about my lesbian partner.
I feel comfortable about the idea of another woman making an advance toward me.
I feel comfortable at lesbian-centered events or places.
I feel comfortable in social situations with other lesbians.
I have stopped myself from coming out because no heterosexuals are truly accepting. [R]
I have very little in common with other lesbians. [R]
It is important for me to be part of the lesbian community.
It is important to have people in my life who know I am a lesbian.
I am comfortable being a lesbian.
I feel comfortable thinking about my homosexuality.
I sometimes feel disappointed in myself for being a lesbian. [R]‌
I sometimes feel embarrassed to be a lesbian. [R]
I would prefer to be heterosexual. [R]
Being a lesbian is all right when you are young, but I worry how people will perceive me as an older lesbian. [R]
Children should be taught that being gay or lesbian is normal.
I find myself making negative comments about other lesbians. [R]
I sometimes think heterosexual people’s judgments of lesbians are, at least in part, justified. [R]
I think of lesbians as sexually predatory. [R]
I wish other lesbians would not flaunt their lesbianism. [R]
It is understandable that people judge lesbians who do not dress or act “straight.” [R]
It is understandable that some people believe that lesbians are not worthy of the same treatment as other women. [R]
Lesbians should try to look as non-offensive as possible. [R]
Lesbians who have a very masculine appearance make me uncomfortable. [R]
Most lesbians grow out of their lifestyles. [R]

Note. [R] = reverse-scored items.