Factor 3: Social Comfort
7.I often feel intimidated while at gay venues.
8.Making an advance to another man is difficult
for me.Notes :
Items are rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging
from: 1 5Strongly disagree to 75Strongly agree.
(R) Reverse scored item.
Reproduced with permission.
Lesbian Internalized Homophobia Scale (LIHS)
(Szymanski & Chung, 2001 ).
Variable
The LIHS assesses internalized homophobia among lesbians.
Description
The LIHS is the first published scale designed to assess internalized homophobia among lesbians specifically.
It contains a total of 52 items comprising 5 dimensions identified based on a literature review: Connection with
the Lesbian Community (13 items), Public Identification as Lesbian (16 items), Personal Feelings about Being a
Lesbian (8 items), Moral and Religious Values (7 items), Attitudes toward Other Lesbians (8 items). Of these 52
items, 18 were generated by the authors, 11 adapted from previous scales (e.g., Herek, 1984 ; Ross & Rosser, 1996;
Shidlo, 1994 ), and 23 derived based on theoretical pieces (e.g., D’Augelli & Garnets, 1995 ,Pharr, 1988 ).
Participants rate each statement on a 7-point Likert-type scale. Both average total and subscale scores are inter-
pretable, with higher values indicating greater internalized homophobia ( Szymanski & Chung, 2001 ).
Sample
Using an academic listserve and social networks, Szymanski and Chung (2001) recruited 303 female partici-
pants (70.5% lesbian, 18.2% bisexual but primarily lesbian, 7.0% bisexual but primarily heterosexual, 3.6% hetero-
sexual, and 0.7% other). The majority (84.7%) of this sample was White. Average age was 34.64 years (ranging
from 18 to 65 years). Additional validational analyses (Szymanski & Chung, 2001) were conducted using a similar
sample of 157 lesbian women. Mean scores on the LIHS were not reported (Szymanski & Chung, 2001).
Reliability
Internal Consistency
Szymanski and Chung (2001) reported Cronbach alpha coefficients for the LIHS of .94 and .93 and subscale
alpha coefficients ranging from .74 to .92, respectively.
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
The LIHS was significantly correlated with the UCLA Loneliness Scale ( Russell, Peplau, & Cutrona, 1980 ),
r5.41 (subscale rsranging from .14 to .38), depression (Zung, 1965), r5.33, and passing as heterosexual, r5.66
(Szymanski & Chung, 2001).
Divergent/Discriminant
Szymanski and Chung (2001) found the LIHS to be negatively correlated ( r5/C0.26) with the Rosenberg Self-
Esteem Scale (RSE) (see chapter by Donnellan et al., this volume). Correlations between self-esteem and individ-
ual subscales were less consistent emerging only for the Connection With Lesbian Community, Public
Identification and Personal Feelings subscales with rsequaling /C0.22,/C0.20 and /C0.31, respectively.
Construct/Factor Analytic
Rather than use factor analytic techniques in determining the dimensional structure of this scale, the authors
(Szymanski & Chung, 2001 ) created such a structure by beginning with five hypothesized dimensions and having
judges sort items into these subscales. Items that were not placed in the same category by at least four of the five745 MEASURES OF INTERNALIZED ANTI-LGB BIAS
VI. SOCIOCULTURAL INTERACTION AND CONFLICT