Gay people keep scoring “homophobic” on this viral quiz

Nobody’s safe from being labeled a homophobe according to this psychology test — not even if you’re gay yourself.

The viral test is based on the Homophobia Scale, developed by psychologists Lester Wright Jr., Henry Adams, and Jeff Bernat in 1999. Their scale separates homophobia into three categories: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. The quiz presents takers with statements about gay people to agree or disagree with, then gives them a score out of 100 in each category, as well as an overall ranking of homophobia. It also compares their scores to those of the general public.

Sounds easy enough, right? Well … yes and no. The thing is, some opinions are totally homophobic when straight people have them. But when gay people hold those same opinions, there’s a touch more nuance involved.

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Some of the statements the quiz presents are inarguably homophobic: “Homosexuality is immoral,” for example, or, “Homosexual intercourse should be against the law.” One even reads, “I have contemplated vandalizing the property of gay people as a punishment for their being gay.” (If you agree with that one, seek help immediately.)

Other statements, though, read totally differently through a gay lens. Take the quiz’s final prompt, for example: “Gay people are probably responsible for some of the ridicule they get.” Let’s be real — some gay people’s behavior is embarrassing as all get out. It’s not because they’re gay. It’s because they’re annoying. But the quiz doesn’t leave wiggle room for those of us who’ve cast side-eye at our messy friends in the gay club.

In a similar vein, there’s, “I enjoy the company of gay people.” Only those who are part of the queer community know exactly how obnoxious our fellow gays can be.

Me already stuck on Question 3 pic.twitter.com/PkXDemsP9V

— Mark Sundstrom (@106th) February 14, 2024

Then there’s the statement “It does not matter to me whether my friends are gay or straight.” Yes, we do care — we want them to be gay!

And when it comes to “mocking ‘manly’ women and/or ‘girly’ men with derogatory sexual slurs,” the quiz clearly isn’t accounting for a little friendly teasing (or for what we might get up to in the bedroom; no kink-shaming here).

Sigh pic.twitter.com/ttjiqHjKi0

— Förnamn{ettgängsiffror} (@fimohokon) February 14, 2024

Meanwhile, discovering a friend is gay could lead to “ending the friendship,” but that’s only because we could become something more than friends.

I could answer this in two ways pic.twitter.com/lt0tEPKTjs

— TheUglydollKing (normal mode) (@UglyDollKing) February 14, 2024

Of course gay people don’t deserve to face discrimination from straight people. But a little constructive criticism within the queer community never hurt anybody.

well pic.twitter.com/paXnxKMxlZ

— ivy (@ivesphobic) February 14, 2024

Check out the test for yourself here.