Does Self-Compassion Moderate the Relationship Between Internalized Homo-negativity and Symptoms of Distress? (2021)

Previous research has shown that some gay and lesbian individuals internalize homophobic messages they encounter as a form of self-stigmatization; this effect had been termed internalized homophobia or internalized homo-negativity (Shidlo, 1994). To date, research has not extended this concept to include issues of gender identity self-stigmatization. Thus, for my project, I modified a popular internalized homo-negativity scale (Mayfield, 2001) and measured self-stigmatization across the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, higher self-compassion—viewing oneself in a kind and non-judgmental manner in the face of stressors (Neff, 2003)—has been shown to be related to reduced psychopathology. To assess this phenomenon, I examined whether self-compassion buffers the effects of internalized homo-negativity across different subgroups of the LGBTQ+ community. My presentation discusses my results and their clinical implications.