5 September 2011
Black gay men have edge in likeability
by George Atkinson 
An experiment by University of Toronto psychologists showed that subjects rated white straight men as more likable than white gay men, while for black men, the situation was reversed. The study involved showing male and female subjects photos of straight and gay black and white males and rating their likeability on a scale of one to seven (extremely likable). The participants were not informed that some of the men pictured were gay. While overall, white straight men were rated as more likable than white gay men, black men were rated in the opposite manner: gay blacks were more likable than straight black men.
"We observed that people judge others based on sexual orientation even if they are not consciously aware of whether someone is gay or straight. These findings suggest that sexual orientation, despite lacking explicit perceptual markers, infiltrates the automatic impression that is formed," said researcher Jessica Remedios. "By understanding how sexual orientation affects the rapid evaluations we form about others, we can learn more about predicting and minimizing the negative consequences of homophobia." Related:
Risky sex linked to feeling undesirable
Gaydar: What's The Signal?
Gay Gene Row Reignited Source: University of Toronto
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