[ATLian]

research studies in the 1980’s and 90’s showed that two categories of men became arouse when shown erotic images of other males: self declared gay men and homophobes.

I heard about that. It's interesting (according to that study) that the most aggressive homophobes are most likely the ones who are closeted gays. The reason for their extreme public display of homophobia is that they are so scared and ashamed of their potential gayness that in public they do everything to portray themselves as an anti-gay man.

A classic example is Col. Fitts, that neighbor of Kevin Spacey in "American Beauty". The guy was an extreme homophobe, and we later learnt that it's because he was gay.

Or Pastor Ted Haggard, the Denver pastor who was the chairman of the US Pastors Association, and a leading critic against gay marriage and homosexuality. We later learnt that he was gay and he had a 3 year relationship with some male prostitute.

Or senator Larry Craig... As a senator, he was in the Senate Ethics Committee, he led the crusade against those other senators caught up in gay scandals, he pushed the bills to make gay marriage and gay unions and gay rights illegal, etc. He was very very anti-gay. He happens to be the senator who was found playing footsie in the men's bathroom at the Minneapolis airport. Through this scandal, he was revealed to be very gay, having had numerous gay relationships since college.

All these guys above make me look at the most homophobic Mashadites and wonder if they have a secret double-life that they are very ashamed of...