Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of modern homonegativity on hiring decisions of homosexuals. In this 2 (female versus male) x 2 (gay-implied versus straight-implied) x 2 (level of applicant’s GPA: average versus high) between-subjects design study, each participant (N = 261) was randomly assigned to one of eight conditions. Other related constructs measured were fear of negative evaluation, hostile and benevolent sexism, social desirability bias, internal and external motivation to respond without prejudice, and demographic information. Factorial analyses of variance (ANOVAs) results indicate no hiring preference for heterosexual or homosexual applicants, and no difference in attributions of masculine and feminine traits. Bivariate correlations results suggest individuals with higher levels of modern homonegativity were more externally motivated to respond without prejudice, harbor more hostile and benevolent sexist attitudes, more politically conservative, and attended religious services more frequently. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.